Destiny Part III: Wrath of the Machines
by Run the Jewels
Summary: "He's my brother."
1. Just Another Day

_Let's get started shall we?_

 _Opening theme for Book 3 is "_ _ **Golden Time Lover**_ " _by Sukima Switch(FMAB OP3) and takes place_ _ **two years**_ _after the events of Book 2_

* * *

 _Just Another Day_

* * *

Aro scratched the itching hair growing under his chin, leaning against his ship, "Why are we pretending I support Dead Orbit again?" he asked, wincing and raising his hand when the sun came out from behind the clouds.

Crona walked over, carrying a two heavy box of tools and gears for the ship on each shoulder like they weighed nothing. She dropped the boxes at his feet and shrugged, "We need the shaders."

"We?" Aro asked, sticking an accusing finger in her face, "Or you?"

She knocked his hand away, "Pick one. Doesn't change anything."

"Soooo we're…scamming them?"

"I was thinking more like outright stealing."

Aro sighed tiredly. She had been at this for weeks, "We are _not_ stealing from Dead Orbit."

"Why not? We already stole my sister in law and her son." she pointed out, jerking a thumb at the ship. As if on cue, a brown hand stuck out from the bottom of his ship accompanied by the shout of the name of a random tool, causing Aro to quickly rummage around to find it. Just above their heads, he could hear Asura attempting and failing to keep the energetic six year old in one place, boots clanking back and forth.

"Akira is a grown woman. She can do whatever she wants." Aro argued back, handing Akira the tool, "And your words were "liberated". That we "liberated" her from your brother's Consensus meeting. He's probably wondering where they are by now…"

A mop of black hair suddenly dropped from the ship, followed by Akira herself, "Aro, get in the pilot seat. Try to turn it on." she said, wiping the black oil off her hands, "And what are we stealing?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Aro yelled from the top of his ship.

"Shaders from Dead Orbit."

Her eyes popped open, "Ooh, the black and white ones?"

"No!"

"Yep." Crona answered again, ignoring Aro's muffled protest from inside the ship.

"Those always look so good." She beat her fist against the ship, "Turn it on some time today please!"

"Alright, alright!" Aro replied right before his ship started up, smoother than it had been in days.

"That takes care of whatever you heard clanking." Akira removed stray hairs from her face, "But next time you go to Mars, try not to fly directly over a Goliath tank. Spacecraft isn't an issue for them."

"Duly noted." Aro snarked, dropping to the ground and following her and Crona up the staircase. Asura had finally managed to capture and keep Zavala the Third or Trey's interest. The boy was curled up in his lap, listening to Asura read one of his books out loud. His efforts went out the window when Trey saw his mother and aunt. Crona quickly caught Trey before he could get to his mother, who was covered in engine fluid and sweat.

"Mom, when's Dad going to be finished?" the boy asked.

"Umm…" she picked up her phone, scrolling through a multitude of messages. All most likely from him. "Daddy should be here very soon. I should probably go wash up before he does."

Akira turned around and started up the stairs only to stop and slowly start walking back down, her eyes trained on whoever was at the top.

Z slowly followed her down, an annoyed but amused look on his face. Crona cursed. Asura made sure to cover the child's ears before she did.

"Akira." He said simply.

"Heeey, love. How was your meeting?" she asked.

"Ended early. Figured I'd spend the rest of my afternoon hunting you two down." Z looked over at Asura with his son and held both his hands out. Trey promptly ran into his open arms.

"You could've sent me a text, you know. I got worried." Z said, frowning.

"Is your phone's volume off?" Akira asked.

"What?"

"Is…it…off?" she repeated.

"Why does that even matter?!"

"Because you always forget to turn it off unless I tell you! Or do you not remember it going off during one of your meetings last year?"

"I…" Z was about to argue but fell silent with a huff.

"Exactly." she let out a resigned sigh, stood up on her toes and kissed him, "I apologize. Okay?"

Crona took the moment to try and sneak past both of them. Z's hand latched onto her shirt and dragged her back into the group, putting her face to face with him.

"You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Z accused.

"I have no clue what you are talking about, dear brother."

"I'm tired, Crona. Don't play with me."

"Alright, alright. You sound like father." Crona raised her hands in a failed attempt to placate him, "You look like him when you're angry too. Anyway, Akira told me she was stuck there with Trey and Amanda seemed like she could use an extra pair of hands with the ships today."

"So you came and kidnapped my wife and son?" Z asked, squatting down to adjust Trey's clothing.

"Liberated."

"Mmhmm." He rose back to his full height and looked at Aro and Asura, "And I guess she roped you two into helping her?"

"You could say something like that." Asura answered, handing Akira the book and conveniently leaving out the fact that he was a very willing participant.

"I figured. I'm going to get you back for this. You know that right?" Z said, pointing a finger in her face. A finger she promptly knocked away.

"Whatever you plan to do, you'll have to do it later." Aro said, lifting up off the railing.

"Why, is something going on?"

"Today's our training session." Aro sighed, "With Shaxx."

Akira grimaced, inhaling through her teeth. Z started laughing.

* * *

Aro landed hard on his back, getting the breath and probably more knocked out of him. Shaxx was not going easy today. Then again, he never did.

He rolled to the side to avoid a massive boot dropping towards his face. Shaxx landed where his head used to be with a resounding thud, "Sleep later, kid!" Shaxx warned, charging him again.

He jerked to one side, narrowly avoiding an Arc filled Storm Fist, rather than try to block it like he had before. Just the sound of both his forearms snapping in half was enough motivation to make sure he _never_ tried that again.

A normal, laughing, boisterous Lord Shaxx was already an intimidating sight. But when Shaxx was fighting was a completely different man. He had stripped down to waist, exposing a terrifyingly strong upper body. Combined with a scowl and glowing Arc blue eyes with small streams of lightning emanating from them, Shaxx had always managed to rattle their focus with his simple appearance, no matter how many times they fought against him.

Eyes glowing a similar Arc blue, both Crona and Asura came at Shaxx, Asura Blinking forward to try and catch him with his knife and Crona throwing a Storm Fist at his head.

As they should've expected, it did not work.

Asura, being the faster one, got to him first. Shaxx ducked under the knife and threw a hard right hook at Asura's side, using his flinching to quickly twisted the knife from Asura's hand. He turned and threw the knife directly at Crona, who screamed as it embedded itself in her shoulder, stumbling in her charge. Shaxx got behind Asura, kicking his legs out and jumping clear over his falling body to deliver a punishing blow from above to the distracted Crona.

By the time he had noticed Aro, it was too late. Aro mustered all the strength he could and sent the force energy out of his palm directly into Shaxx's hard stomach.

The sound of the impact echoed across the room. Shaxx grunted from the force of the attack but otherwise did not move an inch.

" _Shit."_ was all Aro had time to think before Shaxx kicked him several feet back. Despite the strength of the kick, Aro had managed to stay on his feet. He had no time to react before Shaxx tackled him to the ground and brought his massive fist down towards his face.

The fist stopped right before it could connect with his face, the wind of the punch kicking up dust around them into the air.

Shaxx glared down at him for a few seconds before he stood, "You three are getting better at this." His expression softened and he extended a hand to Aro, helping him stand. He went around, doing the same for all the others.

"We are? I didn't notice." Crona groaned, rubbing the shoulder where Asura's knife had landed.

"Well I did. There's room for improvement, of course but you'll get there." Shaxx ran a towel over his head.

He took a look at the three of them, noticing how dejected they all looked. He sighed, "I'm not doing this because I'm trying to be mean or anything like that. The Heralds, at least the ones we know about were all exceptional Guardians in life. All Rank IV Guardians and as Fireteam Aashir and now Mira's team and Katrina's team can tell you, that is no easy feat. I even taught some of them."

"Teams Mira and Katrina still out of commission?" Asura asked.

"Of course. It's only been a week. You saw what they went through." Shaxx said, "I'm just trying to increase your chances of coming home alive. That's all." With that, Shaxx donned a shirt and walked out of the room, leaving the three to ponder his words.

* * *

Kain did his best to repair Aro's injuries. He still had to limp home. Asura had taken off to wherever, probably to bother someone like Shino or Katrina, who he heard were still stiff from the Trials and couldn't attack him.

There had been no sighting of any of the six remaining Heralds. Aro was grateful for their periodic disappearances but it made him wonder what they might be planning this time.

He was sure he was still being watched. He and his team had just been promoted to Rank III a few months ago, so both Venus and Mars were now accessible to him. The first thing he did was visit a certain location in the Meridian Bay on Mars; the grave of a dead Ghost, fulfilling the last wish of a dying man. The man who saved his life on the Moon. The man he had been forced to kill himself.

He turned on the shower and slipped out of his sweaty clothes. He turned around slightly in order to see his _Will of Light_ clan mark tattooed on the upper right side of his back. It was nothing complex, just an image of a Sun surrounded by an intricately designed corona. If it didn't remind him of everything that had happened to him since the very day he was revived, he would appreciate it more. Maybe one day, a clan mark is all it will be.

It wasn't required once starting or entering a clan but according to the others, it was customary. All fifteen of them had gotten their own in a different place. Aro had placed his where he would only see it when he wanted to. He didn't need a reminder of what he was dealing with anytime he tried to change clothes.

His shower was quick as he did not want to stand for much longer and he was still rather busy. He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist, wiping off the mirror to examine his face.

"You letting it grow this time?" Kain asked, appearing next to his head.

His eyes flicked to his Ghost quickly before he answered, "I might. It looks like a mess but I don't really feel like shaving right now."

"You know, Daniel-"

"Yes, Daniel would like it if I grew it out." Aro quickly interrupted, "It's just too much work."

"Or you're just lazy."

"There's that."

Aro sighed and pulled himself away from the mirror and left the bathroom. He was surprised at what he saw when he returned to his room, although he shouldn't have been by this point.

Daniel had let himself in and made himself right at home, a shoeless foot propped up on Aro's bed and his bare back pressed against the headboard, clan mark exposed on his left ribcage. He was flipping through one of Aro's many textbooks, a hopelessly lost look on his face.

"Don't hurt yourself, Titan." Aro teased, coming around and pulling the book out of his hands.

"How the hell do you make sense of anything in there? What is it even saying?"

Aro looked at the title, "It's just some theories on how the Hive power their weapons and technology. How do their ships cut holes in space and time? How do symbols lock doors, things like that."

"Then why don't they just say that?!"

Aro laughed, "When I meet the old Thanatonauts, I'll be sure to ask." He dropped the dusty book onto his work desk and began skimming through the closet for something comfortable, "So you're back rather early."

Aro heard Daniel's weight shift up off the bed, "Yeah, we took out the targets rather quickly. Besides…" he moved in close behind Aro, "I missed my boyfriend."

Aro started laughing, "It's been two days."

"You're pretty hard to forget." Daniel squeezed his sides, causing Aro to grimace slightly. Daniel frowned, "Something wrong?"

"Shaxx worked us over today."

Daniel smiled painfully, "I remember. It'll be our turn soon. Speaking of which, you busy at anytime today?" Daniel asked gruffly, moving closer, a finger hooked into the towel already slipping off his waist.

Aro inhaled sharply when Daniel's teeth sunk into his shoulder. "Unfortunately." He sighed.

Daniel moved back slightly, "Does it have to do with the Heralds?"

Aro simply nodded.

"The world won't end if you forget them for a little while." He turned him around, "In here, it's just you and me."

Aro laughed slightly, "Alright. But fair warning, I can barely move."

"Fine by me." Daniel pulled him closer, "Let me do the work. I'll take care of you."

* * *

 _Immortal Superhuman Space Boyfriends. They need a ship name._

 _I was watching "Over the Garden Wall" as I was writing the draft of this, in case some parts looked familiar._

 _P.S: I've been going back and editing_ _ **House of Devils**_ _, make it easier for people to read, in case anyone wanted to go back and look at it again. Feel free to message me any continuity issues you might spot that I may have missed._


	2. Just Another Day Part II

_Just Another Day Part II_

* * *

"I'm meeting a few of the others for breakfast in the mess hall. You in?" Daniel asked, as Aro got out of the bed and moved for the bathroom.

"After last night, how could I not be?" Aro yawned and stretched. He could feel Daniel's eyes tracking him across the room.

"See something you like?" Aro called, searching around for his brush.

"I've seen better." Daniel shot back, standing and slipping on his jeans.

Aro scoffed.

"Is that it? No quick witted response?" Daniel moved next to him, "I'm disappointed."

"Just give me some time. I'll get you back."

"I'm counting on it. So what's in the schedule today?"

"Running around, gathering and delivering reports to the other clan members."

"I'm guessing it was what you were busy with yesterday before…"

"Before you came and distracted me? Yes."

The rest of the morning was filled with relaxed conversation, as it usually was. A radical difference from how their talks usually went when they first met. Short and superficial but gradually getting deeper as they became closer.

At the dining hall, "The others" Daniel mentioned were Erek and Kayla along with Shino and Sora. With Shino towering over almost everyone in the mess hall, they had little trouble finding the group.

"Look who can move again!" Daniel called, capturing their attention.

Shino laughed, either forgetting his mouth was still full or not caring. "I only came down because Kayla would never bring me enough food." He said, pointing a fork at her.

"I am not carrying four plates of food upstairs!" she said.

"How long have you all been here?" Daniel asked, eyeing Shino's third plate.

"Twenty minutes." Sora mumbled, looking up from the book she was reading. It had been a busy few months for her. Spending most days either in labs or in armor had lightened her naturally tan skin. Something she complained endlessly about.

"The others?" Aro asked.

"They're up and about too. Only took a week." she answered distracted, enthralled by whatever she was reading.

"Speaking of which, I never got to congratulate you guys on achieving Rank IV." Aro said, sitting down next to Erek, "I watched the Trials. I see why they're still out of it."

"Ha. You have no idea." Shino said.

"Probably not. I don't envy you at all." Shino started laughing.

"Aro, Aashir still needs that report" Kayla said.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'll get it to him."

"You were supposed to yesterday. Preoccupied, I take it?" Kayla asked, looking between the him and Daniel.

"Actually, _he's_ the one who's been taking it." Nodding his head directly at Daniel.

Daniel's eyes popped open and Shino laughed out hard enough to begin coughing. He starting laughing even harder when the red started to creep up Daniel's neck.

"Didn't realize you liked it like that, Daniel." Erek said, quickly looking away when Daniel shot him a look.

"Well I better get to it. I'll see you all soon." Aro announced, standing up. Daniel stood with him. The two said their goodbyes to the group. Except for Shino, who was still trying to stop laughing.

"That was a cheap move, Aro." Daniel grumbled once they had gotten far enough from the group.

"It was also pretty accurate." Daniel glared at him, "What? I told you I'd get you back didn't I?"

Daniel glared only a second longer before he started laughing. They reached the end of the hall before they stopped. "Erek and Kayla will meet me here in about a minute so we can head out. I know you're busy so I'll let you have the night to yourself."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Aro leaned in and kissed him, "Keep out of trouble." he ordered as Daniel started walking back.

The Titan smirked, "Always."

"Aashir?" Aro called, entering the lab rooms he always found him in. The area was a pristine, almost blinding white, kept in perfect conditions by the sweeper frames. The main level was just a walk down the stairs from the entrance.

Unexpectedly, spiky brown hair followed by luminescent blue eyes peeked at him from the lower level, "Ah, Aro! Come on in."

"Josef…and Aveline." Aro greeted once he got to the lower level.

No matter how many times Aro spent time with the twins, they were always interesting to look at. Born of an Awoken mother and Human father, Josef looked completely Human except for his almost glowing blue eyes that sharply contrasted with his deep tan skin. In contrast, Aveline had pure white hair usually tied up, dark blue skin and a pair of deep brown eyes she inherited from her father.

"You're looking for Aashir?" Josef asked, scratching the Will of Light clan mark on the right side of his neck, "He just stepped out."

"And you're here because…" Aro asked, eyeing the cards in both his and his sister's hands.

"Boredom. And we might need to head out soon." Aveline answered.

"Head where?"

"Aashir hasn't told us yet."

"Do you have the report?" A rumbling voice came from behind him. Aro turned to see the tall red, blue eyed Exo slowly walk down the stairs, their clan mark on his right forearm, which was exposed.

Aro held the folder out to him, "I don't have much but I doubt we can try and strengthen Rasputin's power again. It's much too dangerous."

Aashir looked up at him, "Not if we just send you."

"I wouldn't know what I was doing. This is your expertise and if not yours, then Kayla's."

"She still refuses to try again?" Aashir asked, sitting down next to Aveline, eyes still on the reports.

"Can you blame her? An-" Aro stopped himself quickly but the effect had taken hold. Crona refused to call Andal Brask by his new name and he had picked up the habit.

"Sloth tore them up the last time." Aro corrected himself with a sigh, "Besides, she's been telling me of some strange experiences she's been having in regards to Rasputin talking to her."

"Like what exactly?"

"A second voice."

Aashir stopped reading. Even Josef and Aveline had paused in their game.

"Has she said anything to Ikora? The Speaker? Anyone?" Aashir asked, an urgent tone entering his voice.

"She's not sure if there actually is a second voice. She thinks she might just be hearing things. Stress most likely."

"Still! She should tell someone! Does she not understand what this could mean? A second Warmind or even a second reborn Warmind." Aashir was getting agitated.

"Well she's the Warmind. I'm deferring to her on this matter." Aro stood, "Anything else? I have to go speak with some of the others."

Aashir sat back, "No. Nothing else."

Aro nodded. Patting Josef's shoulder, he trudged up the stairs and out of the lab room.

"Aashir…" Aveline called.

"What is it?"

"You aren't planning on telling Ikora are you?" She sounded as if she were scolding a child.

"I'll keep my mouth shut. But I will be talking to her about this soon." He moved in front one of the computers.

"Go easy on the girl. She deals with enough." Josef rumbled.

Aashir simply grunted.

* * *

"Call coming in from Crona." Kain reported.

"Is it important?" Aro asked, quickly walking down the hall.

"She simply wants to know if you got the same message from Shaxx as her and Asura. You did by the way."

Aro sighed, "What does it say?"

" _Meet me in The Barrens, Meridian Bay, Mars. Tomorrow."_

* * *

"Why are we here again?" Kayla sighed. The bar they were in was loud and annoying. It was not doing anything for the headache she was developing.

"We're just grabbing something to eat." Erek said. They had been running around the City all day.

"We couldn't go some place...quieter?"

"Mmmmmm nah."

"You alright Kayla?" Daniel asked, leaning against the wall in their booth.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

It was a lie. One both men saw right through. But they both decided to drop the subject. She'd tell them when she was ready to tell them. There was never a use in forcing it out of her.

" _Damn it, Sixx. You hear it too right?"_

" _I do."_ Her Ghost immediately responded, " _And I have a feeling it's not just you. Maybe it's Rasputin."_

" _That makes the most sense but it just doesn't feel the same. I can't explain it at all."_

She took a quick look at Daniel and Erek, both who were deep in conversation and fortunately not paying her much attention. She closed her eyes, trying to block out all the noise around her. She didn't like turning off her auditory function unless she absolutely had to.

It was just like before. Deep mumbling. Barely perceptible but definitely Russian. Rasputin.

She could see the waves of information passing before her eyes as if they were open. The ability had developed only a little bit after their fight against Gluttony on the Moon, after she had gained the Radiant Light. She could pull information out of systems, bypass basic securities and communicate with other lesser machines such as the frames in the Tower. She couldn't connect with other Exos however. Not that she would ever want to.

And then, as has been happening for sometime now, the whispering. The volume was lower than even Rasputin. She couldn't begin to guess what it was saying or why to was talking to her specifically. Maybe there was a way to amplify it. There actually _was_ away and she was not willing to get attacked again.

She sighed and opened her eyes. She immediately looked at Erek, who was standing and glaring past her, hands balled into fists. Daniel was just a tense.

"What is it?" She asked, confused, "Is something wrong?" She turned to see a group of three unkempt men at a table behind them.

She stood, "Is there a problem?" She asked across the restaurant in a genuinely concerned tone.

"Hell yeah, there's a problem." The man was drunk, "Who the hell do you think you are to ignore me?"

"…What?" Her tone went from genuinely concerned to genuinely confused.

The man stood, as did his friends, "I was talking to you and you ignored me." He slurred, "What? Is it not in your programming to respond?" His friends started laughing.

"The fuck did you just say?" Erek was out from his seat in a near instant. Kayla had to move in between the two groups before whatever this was escalated. The bar had quieted down, everyone's eyes on them.

"No don't stop him. If he would like to do something, by all fuckin means!" The man laughed loudly. Either he was a very brave or ignorant to who they were, seeing as they were out of uniform.

"Move Kayla." Erek growled, he started pushing against her

"No Erek, stop. He's not worth it. Please." She begged.

"Do as your owner says." The man took another pull from his drink, "Uppity fuckin Vexo."

Kayla was unable to stop Daniel as he shoved past and grabbed the man by the throat. His drink dropped the the ground and shattered in a loud crash that made several of the bar patrons flinch.

"Daniel, stop!" Kayla said unsuccessfully trying to pull him off the man. Daniel ignored her, pushing the shorter man back against the wall and lifting him into the air.

The man took out a glimmering object from behind his back and violently jammed it deep into the base of Daniel's neck. Several people gasped out loudly. Even the man's friends seemed shocked.

Daniel slowly turned his head and looked at the knife for a few seconds, his face shows no pain. He reached up and yanked the knife out of his neck, blood spurting from the wound before it quickly closed itself up in view of the entire bar.

The man's eyes opened wider and he started struggling even more, "You-you're a…"

Daniel turned his head to look at him again. Only this time, his eyes were a sharp electric blue with small sparks of Arc energy flitting out of them, "What gave it away?" he snarled.

"Excuse me? Guardians?"

Daniel turned. The woman tending bar had gone to get her boss. Daniel's eyes quickly shifted back to normal.

"I've been told what he said to her." The woman said, "He and his friends will be banned from the property but I ask that you please take this outside."

Daniel looked from the owner to a still seething Erek to Kayla, whose eyes were on the ground.

"You attacked me and harassed my teammate." Daniel said lowly, "I have every right to "handle" you myself. It'd be simple self defense."

The man swallowed. He started shaking.

"But just like that, you have your life. I suggest you be more careful with it." And with that threat, Daniel promptly dropped the man. He fell to the ground and tripped over himself trying to get out of the building.

"I apologize for the disturbance." Kayla said, looking up at her, "We'll leave now."

The owner's stern face softened, "You're the injured party here. You don't have to go anywhere."

"Kayla-" Daniel reached for her. She shifted away, "No Daniel please. I want just to go home."

The three were escorted out of the building. They could hear the place start to go back to normal from outside. Without another word, Kayla began walking back towards the Tower.

Erek and Daniel silently followed close behind.

* * *

 _Yep. Just another day. Sorry, Kayla :(_

 _Location of the Will of Light marks(Yes, I was watching Fairy Tail. Leave me alone)_

 _Aro-Right back_  
 _Crona-Right Shoulder_  
 _Asura-Left back_

 _Daniel-Left ribcage_  
 _Kayla-Left forearm_  
 _Erek-Left pectoral_

 _Mira-Back of neck_  
 _May-Middle of back_  
 _Shino-Right pectoral_

 _Katrina-Left Hand_  
 _Jessie-Left shoulder_  
 _Sora-Right thigh_

 _Aashir-Right forearm_  
 _Josef-Right neck_  
 _Aveline-Right ribcage_


	3. Aro Unbound

_Aro Unbound_

* * *

"Wait, wait wait….what happened?!" Aro demanded.

"We…got into a little spat at a bar." Daniel mumbled.

"You said he shoved a knife in your neck!"

"The knife was nothing. I've disintegrated before."

Aro sighed tiredly.

" _It's fun watching them argue."_ Asura said to Spirit, earning a chuckle from the usually silent Ghost. They were outside in the Tower Plaza, preparing for this mystery trip to Mars as well as hearing the details of the incident at the bar from the last night.

Asura couldn't find it in himself to be surprised. It had happened to him several times before. Neither of his teammates really ever noticed it, which was understandable. Aro was Human and Crona was Awoken. They had never really had to deal with this kind of prejudice before; there was no mistake they were people. His humanity, however, always seemed up for debate. All on the basis that he was metal and wires instead of flesh and bone.

The fact that he laughed, got angry, felt fear, had crushes and even cried seemed to mean nothing.

He never told them though. He didn't need them worrying about him and he usually just let the verbal assaults roll off his shoulders. They couldn't call him anything worse than what he called himself.

Still, whenever it did happen, some kind of strange anger welled inside him. An anger so deep and hate filled that Asura couldn't bring himself to believe it was coming from him. But if it was from the former Herald inside him, then why? Wrath(A) wanted little to do with him and that included speaking to him.

He left his own head just in time to hear Aro announce their departure. He stood with a tired groan. He shouldn't have stayed up so late last night. He walked past Kayla. "Don't let Shaxx kill you all." She said, a hint of humor in her voice.

Asura chuckled, "Have you met Shaxx? It's already out of my hands."

Kayla laughed at that. At least she was laughing. That's good. But still, she didn't deserve what she had gotten. No Exo did.

As usual, he was pulled into his ship once he got near. Everything was set and without much ceremony, the trio took off for Mars.

* * *

Aro's boots hit the Martian sand and his ship, along with his team's, blasted back into space.

His friends were pretty divided on their feelings for the red planet. The Warlocks,including himself, loved it for the scientific and technological marvels buried by the sands.

The Hunters hated the place for the fact that no matter how well their armor sealed them up, sand always managed to get inside their boots or in Erek's case, much more uncomfortable places. "This armor can keep out bullets but it can't keep out sand." He'd always complain.

The Titans? They just enjoyed the chance to fight with creatures nearer their size. Something Aveline would always tease her much shorter twin brother about.

"Does anyone see him?" Asura asked as they started walking over a small hill. He sounded like the sand was already creeping in.

Crona pointed at a figure sitting in the sand farther ahead, close to where the Vex and Cabal were fighting. There was no mistaking the armor. It was definitely him.

"Lord Shaxx?" Aro called through the comms, attaching his gun to his back.

The figure slowly started to stand, "About time." The man grumbled, rotating his right arm.

"Why exactly are we here?" Asura asked.

Shaxx pointed directly at Aro, "Your leader here. He's been holding back."

"What do you mean exactly?"

"Exactly what I said. You've been holding back on every fight you've had since your little "awakening" on the Moon. With me, in the Crucible and even on the field."

"That still doesn't explain why we're here." Asura said.

"I thought it would explain itself." Shaxx spread his arms out, "Consider this another training match. But instead, it will just be me and Aro. And I want you to go all out."

Aro tensed. Shaxx was right. He never really pushed himself whenever he was fighting. Not like how he did against Gluttony. Asura and Crona quickly obeyed their orders and put some distance between themselves and the two. They both knew how this would go. They had all gotten stronger, enough to qualify for Rank III rather early. Aro could Blink, Asura could use Arc Saber, and Crona could harden her shield. But as Shaxx had demonstrated before, he was on an entirely different level from them.

Without warning, Shaxx charged forward, kicking up a cloud of dust in his wake. Aro was just barely able to move to the side to avoid him. Shaxx's fist connected with the stone hill behind them. The hill blew apart, showering the area with smoking bits of rock.

Aro glided backwards to put some distance between them, " _He isn't playing around today."_ Kain warned.

" _I can tell!"_ Aro snapped his fingers at Shaxx, creating a localized explosion around the Titan. A second snap, followed by a second explosion. And a third and a fourth. Aro had to stop soon after. The output of power was already starting to drain him.

"You're still holding back!" Shaxx's voice growled on the comms. The dust cloud started to fall, revealing Shaxx just standing in one place, armor covered in sand and blackened by ash.

Aro's breath caught in his throat, " _He just took all of that?"_

Shaxx charged him again. This time Aro let him get much closer before ducking out of the way. Only this time, he left a Fusion Grenade stuck to Shaxx's ribcage. He managed to put some distance between himself and the Titan before the grenade exploded. An explosion that didn't even seem to slow him down.

A third time, Shaxx charged and a third time, Aro dodged, throwing his entire body to the side. Something clinked close to his head. His eyes widened when he saw what it was.

" _A Flashbang? I didn't even see him drop it!"_ In the second he had, Aro struggled to calm his nerves and pushed all his nervous energy into his Light and push his Light into the world around him. He got the result he was hoping for.

A miniscule, invisible hole ripped into space and time appeared behind him. He was pulled in and spit out backwards, further away from the Flashbang, which proceeded to explode. Blinking was always so complicated. He truly wondered how people like May or Katrina could it so easily and on the fly. Then again, they qualified for the Rank IV Trials for a reason. They passed for a reason.

Aro hit the ground and rolled to his feet. He could feel the fight lengthening and his muscles protested the punishment. He needed to finish this.

The bright fiery wings erupted from his back with only a small thought. This time, he charged forward, sending a small burst of flame directly at Shaxx, who covered himself in a Force Barrier to shield against it. Aro let out an even bigger wave of fire, which was easily dodged, setting fire to the dead brittle tree behind him.

Without warning, Aro felt his leg move out from under him. Shaxx had him and with only one arm , spun him around and threw him against one of the sand hills. Aro hit the sand wall hard enough to fracture a rib. He groaned weakly, sliding to the ground with a hand to his side.

" _Damn it. What does he want from me?"_ Aro cursed, struggling to catch his breath. He wanted to quit. But he knew Shaxx would never accept it. They'd be there for days.

Shaxx was silently standing a few meters away, observing him. He walked backwards just a few steps, turned around and then started running. Running towards Aro, who was still on the ground.

" _What do I do? What do I do?!'_ Despite his best efforts, Aro could feel the panic starting to overcome him. He fearfully kicked his legs through the sand, backing up further into the wall.

Shaxx leapt into the air and burst into angry lightning. He started to drop down from the air right above where Aro was.

" _AAAAARGH!"_ Aro roared in tandem with the massive field of Void Light that suddenly blasted out from around him, collapsing the wall of sand his back was against. Shaxx came into contact with the solid wall of Void Light and immediately retreated backwards. Aro could almost swear he heard him start laughing.

Just like before, Aro threw out his hands, sending a massive wave of flame that angled towards Shaxx's left. The blast was avoided and unnaturally set fire to the sand behind him. Aro sent out another and another, all which were promptly avoided.

Not being able to move as fast or as far a Hunter, Shaxx stuck to one small area, surrounded by the unnaturally burning flames.

Taking control of the distant flames, Aro bolstered them, making them rise over both of their heads. With a constant circular motion of his arms, the flames started to swirl around Shaxx and enclose him inside, shielding him from view. The swirling flames fused into a towering vortex; the heat and wind coming from it was almost unbearable and the light from it nearly blocked out the light from the sun. But Aro's mind was somewhere else entirely. It was just like this when he finished off Gluttony. He felt as if he was in some kind of trance, like he was a completely different man.

Aro stopped the circular motion with his hands spread out. The twister swirled for a few more seconds before starting to slow down and fall. Aro refused to let it fall completely. Retaking control of the flames, he moved his arms and slammed his two palms together.

The vortex shrunk in and violently exploded outward in a planet shaking explosion that deepened the crater of sand they were in. Aro started running towards the center before the smoke, dust and fire could completely leave the air. He jumped up as high as he could, catching a glimpse of Shaxx on the ground, smoking but alive. No Force Barrier, which means Aro had managed to burn it away. He simply had his arms up to protect his head.

Aro took what remained of his energy and formed a Nova Bomb. He dropped down towards Shaxx and by the time Shaxx saw him coming, it was already too late. Aro pushed the Nova Bomb into Shaxx and the resulting explosion sent both of them flying backwards. Aro hit the ground hard and roughly rolled to a stop. Breathing hard, he lifted his head to get a look at Shaxx.

Shaxx's Ghost appeared over his body and Aro let out a sigh of relief. It was over.

Shaxx's Ghost disappeared and his body twitched as life returned to it. "That was fantastic!" Shaxx laughed tiredly. He quickly sat himself up, still laughing like a madman.

"Glad you had fun." Aro groaned as felt Asura and Crona help him stand.

"Just based off of that, you'd probably qualify for the Rank IV Trials." Shaxx said, "Of course, raw power isn't nearly enough. I could have gotten out of your little trap anytime I wanted."

Aro sighed. Of course.

"But maybe if your teammates had been around, you could've kept me in there." Shaxx looked at Crona and Asura, "Use that power, Aro. You're their leader. Their safety is your responsibility."

"But there was more to this little spar than my entertainment." Shaxx said suddenly serious. He stood, "You'll get the details soon. But the Vanguard's got a mission for you and it's big. I might not see you again for sometime."

"Is that all you're going to tell us?"

"Yes, I apologize. But I am very serious, that was good. As a matter of fact, there's only one other Warlock who I knew was that innately powerful."

Aro thought for a second, "Eriana-3? No…Osiris."

Shaxx nodded without a word.

"Is that one of the reasons why the Rank IV Trials are named after him?"

Shaxx looked back and observed him for a little while.

"Yes. The Trials of Osiris. Yes, that's exactly why."

* * *

 _The anti-Exo prejudice was actually a rather recent idea. One of the main goals of this story is to show the life of Guardians outside of being Guardians. I struggled on whether or not I should change around some key parts of the future story because I wasn't sure how I would just introduce it. But since the story is told from Aro's, a Human, perspective, it makes sense that it would just pop up. It's not that it wasn't there and just showed up all of a sudden. It's always been there. Aro is just now fully seeing for the first time._

 _ **P.S**_ _: What do you all think I am referring to with the title of the book, "Wrath of the Machines?" I'm interested in your opinions._


	4. The Ambassadors

_The Ambassadors_

* * *

"You alright, Aro?" Daniel asked, leaning his large frame against him, "You've been quiet. And you've got your head in that weird book again."

Aro simply hummed in response. He was still thinking about the day before on Mars. And the "weird book" was Toland's journal. It was a surprise Daniel didn't recognize it. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen it since the last time he saw Toland before the exile. His father was still alive then so it really was a while ago.

Aro rarely had time to read it and when he did, it felt as if it was an invasion of the dead man's privacy. But Gluttony or Toland, whatever he wanted to go by, said it was his now. Maybe if he could find out about his motivations and what led him to become a Herald, he would understand the others.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"It's fine. I'm just being myself again." Aro gave him a reassuring smile, closing the journal.

Daniel didn't seem convinced, "Alright. But you know you can tell me anything right?"

"Yeah. I know." Aro kissed him and got out of bed to prepare for the day. Their meeting with the Vanguard. Aro had gotten the message just as he got back. They had requested the presence of the entire clan. Whatever this was, Shaxx was right; this was big.

Aro had finished slightly earlier than Daniel. He watched him stare at the shimmering gold watch on his desk before deciding to slip it on. A gift from his father with a simple set of instructions. _Protect these with your life._ That was it. Not what it was for or why they should bother to protect it in the first place. But despite this, he had started wearing it regularly again, almost to the point that it became strange to see him without it.

"You ready to go?" Asura asked from the couch when he heard Aro's door open. Aro nodded silently, prompting him to hop off the couch and move out of the door. Aro followed with Daniel close behind. There was little talking. No one had even the slightest idea what this was supposed to be about. The rest of their clan stood outside the Vanguard meeting room, chatting idly.

"Katrina." Aro called as he moved towards her. She was deep in a conversation with Mira, "I take it you all are feeling better?"

"If by better you mean, has the exhaustion gone from debilitating to just terrible, then absolutely." She said with an exaggerated smile.

Aro smiled back, a genuine one, "Besides the pain, you're Rank IV now. It's got to feel good, doesn't it?"

"It's largely honorific. Not much has changed. The biggest thing is that we now qualify for the Vanguard position."

"Not that it's _ever_ going to happen." Mira mumbled.

"Anyway, do you know what this is about Aro?" Katrina asked.

"Not in the slightest. Shaxx just told me yesterday on Mars."

Mira's eyes lit up, "Asura told me about that. He even showed me a recording of how you won."

"That's how you beat Gluttony isn't it?" Katrina asked softly, "If it takes that kind of power just to beat a weakened one…" she chuckled mirthlessly, "Well…shit."

"Katrina-"

"Don't worry about it, Aro. I know my team was given the choice on whether or not to join your clan despite what happened. We stand by our decision."

Mira pointed between them, "Let's go. They're letting us in."

The entire group moved into the room where the Vanguard was waiting. Ikora and Zavala had serious, almost dour looks on their faces.

Cayde looked bored with it all, as he always did. He looked up from his map as he heard them moving in, "The gang's all here. Let's get this over with. Shin, can you hear me?" Cayde called.

" _Loud and clear. Too loud actually. Stop shouting."_

Aro could hear Shaxx chuckling behind him.

Shin Malphur had left some months ago on another extended trip and had called back from wherever he was. Somewhere in South America, last Aro had heard.

Ikora cleared her throat, "Now before we begin, Kayla, you had something you wanted to tell us?"

The young Exo stepped forward, "We can discuss it more in detail later. But besides the usual things I hear from Rasputin, I've been…" she hesitated, "I've been hearing a second voice."

If Cayde wasn't awake before, he definitely was now, "A second voice? Do you know who it might be?"

"Do you know _what_ it might be?" Ikora added.

"No. None at all."

"Hmm." Ikora said thoughtfully, "You're right, we will have to speak more later. Stick around after this. You as well, Aashir."

"Yes ma'am."

"If there isn't anything else?" Zavala took a deep breath and started, "The Reef has reached out to us. They want to begin the process of an official alliance."

A map of the entire Sol System was brought up on the meeting table and zoomed in towards the Asteroid Belt where The Kingdom of the Reef was situated.

"As you know, we've had multiple alliances with the Reef in the past. All of them unofficial and impromptu. The most recent was during the Battle of Twilight Gap and the Reef Wars. This alliance was ended abruptly as they delivered an aerial strike while we had three fireteams on the ground. Not only were they killed, their Ghosts were destroyed. The Consensus then voted to cut off the alliance once the fights were over and we have had very little contact with them ever since."

Aro took the short pause to look around and gauge the expressions of his clanmates. The results were varied. Some seemed to realize how big of a deal this was. Some seemed to not care at all.

Then there was Erek, who was bright red and turning brighter by the second. His eyes were wide, pupils were shrunk and Aro could just faintly spot a pulsating vein on his blue forehead. Everyone knew he wasn't very fond of the Reef. He was almost surprised he couldn't feel the temperature of the room start rising or electricity crackling through the air.

" _Losing hold of their abilities when their emotions spin out of control? You're projecting, Aro."_ Kain mumbled in his head.

Ignoring his Ghost, Aro faced the Vanguard, "What does this have to do with all of us specifically, Commander?" He dreaded what the answer would be and dread even more the reactions it might elicit.

"All fifteen members of the Will of Light clan will do work for their Queen. But it will be Teams Aro and Daniel that will spend the next several months living there."

The color suddenly left Erek's face. He never specified what made him leave the Reef around a decade ago but he always had a negative reaction whenever the Reef was mentioned. This, however was a bit extreme.

" _WHAT?!"_ The man roared, loud enough that it was probably heard outside as well.

"Erek!" Daniel whispered between clenched teeth, "Calm the fuck down!"

"I _implore_ you to reconsider. Please!", Erek practically begged.

Despite the disrespectful outburst, all three members of the Vanguard seemed saddened, "We did. Multiple times."

"You-you can't send someone else? Anyone else?!"

"Teams Mira, Katrina and Aashir are needed here on Earth. We chose you six because the Queen of the Reef is also to be alerted to the danger we all face. You will tell her everything."

"Cayde...please. You-you can't…you can't send me back there!"

Cayde looked down, his shoulders drooping, "I'm sorry kid. I tried." He then straightened up, "Besides, you knew you couldn't run away for long. You told me yourself. It's time you confronted this."

"Erek…" Kayla tried to put a hand on his shoulder but was roughly shaken off. The Awoken man stalked out of the Vanguard Hall without another word or look at anyone. The door slid shut behind him but despite the thickness of the walls, all could hear a loud bang from just outside."

Zavala agitatedly rubbed his eyes, "You six leave next week. Settle anything you need to here on Earth before then. Dismissed."

They all walked out, quietly conversing among themselves. A couple of people had stopped in the hallway, no doubt wondering the reason for the yelling and the loud crash

Daniel leaned closer to Aro, "I'm going to go find him. I'll see you later tonight."

Aro nodded and something in the wall caught his eye. A dent. Fist shaped, bloody and smoldering red. His control was slipping.

"Hurry. Before he punches something else."

Daniel nodded before taking off. Kain came out and began repairing the wall, "We know how he feels about the Reef but what could've caused something as extreme as this?" it asked.

Aro sighed. The day just started and he was already exhausted, "We'll find out soon enough."

"Do we want to?"

"No. I don't think we do."


	5. Not Again

_Not Again_

* * *

Crona's eyes slowly fluttered open, immediately looking for a clock to check the time. The clock said it was late in the afternoon. Outside her window said differently. She always hated these time changes.

It took a few seconds to remember where she was. She was back in her old room in her parents' house. When she came back to tell her mother the news earlier today, she insisted Crona spend some time at home before she left. Crona wasn't about to say no. Her mother wasn't going to accept a no either.

She yawned and picked herself up off the bed, shuffling to the bathroom. She took only a few seconds to wash her face and tie her hair back up in the mirror. "It's getting a bit long." she said to her Ghost, who had appeared next to her head.

"Do you plan to cut it?" Sol asked, turning its eye towards her.

"I don't have time before we leave. Maybe when we actually get to the Reef. Father must've gone to a barber once or twice."

After a few seconds of silence, Sol turned to her again, "You're nervous."

She sighed and leaned against the sink, "We don't hear much from them. And we know even less about them. But we know full well how they feel about "outsiders". Especially us Earthborn Awoken. I'm not expecting the warmest reception."

"And there's Erek…"

"And then there's Erek." She repeated, "He's not known for losing his cool. Ever. The only other time that has ever happened was when he saw Lust's face again. Whatever happened at the Reef, could it possibly be that bad?"

"A better question is why he still refuses to tell us. Every time he's asked, he just gives the same answer. That we will find out."

Crona sighed again and picked herself off the sink, "Let's not get caught up in this now. Is everyone downstairs?"

"Your father is still at the Tower but Akira, Z and Trey are all here. Your mother told them."

"That was quick." She grumbled. She quietly left her bedroom. She could hear the additional voices. Her mother, Eve, along with her brother and sister in law. The anger was obvious.

"Is something wrong?" Crona asked, walking down the stairs.

Z gestured towards the screen and Crona sat down next to him. When she got the idea of what was being talked about, she couldn't help but sigh tiredly. An Exo, a young man attacked and literally ripped apart. They wouldn't show images but the description of the attack was enough for Crona to develop a picture in her head. It wasn't pretty.

"Nothing left but a head." Z spat, "They just ripped him apart like some kind of thing. I'm just glad the incident with Kayla didn't escalate this far…"

"Oh, so you heard about that?" Crona asked, attention still on the screen.

"Daniel told Christine, Christine told me." Akira said.

Crona let out a humorless laugh, "And you were worried about them hurting Kayla?"

Z chuckled too, "Quite the opposite." He turned off the television, "Now, about this trip-"

"Is that what we're calling it?!" Akira asked bitingly.

Eve sighed and stood, "I'll take Trey into the other room. I'm sure you have a lot to discuss and he doesn't need to hear this."

"You can hear this too, Mother." Crona said.

"Oh I know." She replied, waking the sleeping child, "I'm not going to be left out. Get your story together because you'll be telling me later." She quickly led Trey to one of the rooms and the living area was silent again once the door softly closed.

"So what is the purpose for this extended trip? I know what I told the other Consensus members but I highly doubt that is all." Z asked, leaning forward and picking up the cup in front of him.

"Father also wants the Reef informed about…about the Heralds."

The cup stopped before it could reach Z's lip. Akira's stormy eyes narrowed.

He put the drink down with a sigh, "Akira-"

"No. It's fine. I'm fine."

It was around a year ago when Crona and her father told them about the Heralds. Her reaction to the news was hard to forget. She had never seen the woman so distraught since Captain Andal Brask's death against Taniks and Crona couldn't blame her. Her brother, her only family for a very long time, was working to destroy everything she loved.

Her reaction reinforced Zavala's belief that the less people who knew, the better. The City finding out that such a well respected man could fall so far into darkness would rip the City apart from the inside out. If the Guardians, brimming with Light and power could still become enthralled to the Darkness then what hope did the ordinary citizens of the City have?

"What could the Reef possible have to offer us in this fight?"

"Their military should we need it. The Queen has a connection to the Nine so they might even be able to call on them."

Z scoffed, "Is that it?"

"We take what we can get, Z."

"What do they get out of it?" Akira asked softly.

"Protection for one." Crona sighed "And a favor should they need one."

"What do they know about the Heralds now?" Z asked, finishing his drink and walking over to the cabinet to fill it again.

"We've been doing our best to keep our information off the systems. The Heralds keep figuring out our plans too easily. They might have found a way to tap into our system or even Rasputin's."

"Really? Rasputin?" Z asked incredulously.

"It is a bit far fetched, Crona." Akira agreed.

"It's the only working theory we've got. And our undocumented trip to the Temple two years ago caught them completely off guard. After that, it was hard _not_ to believe it."

Z leaned back and sighed. "I don't envy you." He said after a few minutes of silence.

"I'm touched." Crona replied, deadpan.

He laughed slightly and held the bottle on the table out to her. She shook her head, "Still hate the taste."

He shrugged and handed it to Akira. "I get the feeling things are coming to a head. Won't be long before you meet Envy and even Pride."

The name alone seemed to make the room go cold. Z shook his head, sighed and raised his glass to her, "Good luck. And…be careful out there."

* * *

Asura shut off the TV, "Another one _."_ he grumbled, throwing the remote down.

"Third this month, I believe." Spirit agreed.

"I really wish I hadn't seen that." Asura laughed bitterly, "No wonder people are angry."

" _And you're not?"_

The voice caused him to freeze, " _Wrath?"_ He asked cautiously.

" _Who else would it be?"_

" _It's not like you talk to me."_

" _You've got nothing to say worth hearing."_

Asura let the insult slide off his back, " _Why are you speaking to me now?"_

" _No particular reason. Just thinking about something."_

" _About?"_

The voice chuckled, " _Not that it's any of your business-"_

" _My head, my business."_ Asura interrupted.

" _Your head."_ Wrath laughed louder this time, " _That is entirely up for debate. This was my head, it still is my head and my body. But my focus is on these Humans and Awoken you live with. They took me-"_

" _Us."_

" _They took me! And they mass produced me. They attack your friend Kayla and think they can command her around, refusing to recognize her free will. And now they attack a young android child and they rip him apart. Like he's a thing. Like she's a thing. Like I'm a thing!"_

Asura remained silent, hoping to keep him talking.

" _So my question is why fight for them? Even when faced with an overpowering force who will not discriminate between them when it chooses to kill them, they still find the energy to hate someone they perceive lower than them. Even their own protectors. If you ask me, they don't deserve to continue existing. Let the Gate open. Let the Darkness come and finish what it started."_

"We don't get to decide that!" Asura yelled out by accident. Fortunately the apartment was empty, " _I fight because there are people here I care about. I fight because I believe humanity can get better."_

" _Despite proof to the contrary?"_

Asura hesitated only slightly before answering, "Yes."

Wrath was silent only for a few seconds, " _A fool's goal. One that will only get us killed. Listen to me and listen well. I refuse, REFUSE to die for a people who hate me and refuse to recognize me as a person._ _Do you hear me? I will not die for these people. Not again. Never again."_

Asura's eyes shot open, "Again? Wrath, what do you mean "again"? Wrath?!"

It was no use. The former Herald was done talking.

* * *

 _For the sake of spoilers, I cannot say if anyone was right in what they think the title means. But they were all pretty good._


	6. MIDNIGHT EXIGENT

_MIDNIGHT EXIGENT_

* * *

Daniel sighed and closed the door to his family home. He looked around the seemingly quiet house, cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "HONEY, I'M HOME!"

As predicted, the sound of feet running closer hit his ears until a familiar beaming face popped over the the upstairs railing, "Danny!"

A smile spread across his face, "How are you, Ma-what the hell are you doing?!"

Just as he said her name, Maya hopped up onto the railing and without warning, threw herself off. Daniel stumbled over himself, trying to catch the teenage girl before she could hit the ground.

He fell to the ground, looking around for her. He looked up to see her smiling down at him while she slowly floated to the ground right in front of his head.

"So what do you think?" She asked, obviously proud of herself.

He stood, "Gliding? Who taught you that?" He asked, dusting himself off.

"Why do you ask?" she queried innocently.

"So I know who I'm going to kill when I see them!"

"Oh, well in that case, it was Aro." She answered with a cheeky grin, knowing full well she had stumped him.

He rolled his eyes and groaned, "Where's Christine?"

"At the library. Board exams are coming up."

"Tarlowe?"

"His study. Any reason you're home?"

Daniel thought for a second and grinned, "Later. You want to use your abilities so bad? Go and change. We're sparring."

His smile got bigger the farther her's fell.

* * *

"C'mon! Don't tell me you're finished!" Daniel called across the yard. Maya had her hands on her knees, breathing hard and dripping with sweat. Both Caesar and Maya's Ghost, A.J watched the fight from a distance away.

She wiped her face, "Not at all." She hesitated only a second longer before charging. She leapt up into the air and aimed a kick at his head, only to have her leg grabbed by her brother. He turned Maya's own momentum against her and threw her behind him, clear across the yard, smiling when he heard her hit the ground.

"You're too obvious." He said, turning around to face her, "It wouldn't be a problem if you were faster or more distracting."

She stood up, "Distracting?" she asked, "What do you mean be distracting?"

With absolutely no warning, Daniel broke into a full charge, kicking up dust in his wake. He could see the color leave Maya's face as he sped closer.

Teeth bared and eyes glowing bright blue, he was in front of her before she could even react. She screamed in fear and curled into a tight ball just as his fist stopped right before it could collide with her face.

She popped one eye open to look at him, "Oh…that's what you mean."

"Did you really think I was going to hurt you?" Daniel asked, slightly worried. He may have taken it too far.

"No." She sighed, relaxing. He stuck out a hand and helped her up.

"But you still froze up and left yourself wide open." he said as they sat down on one of the benches. "In a fight, half the battle is presentation. Rattle their focus and you can take them down."

She sighed again, "I don't think I'm cut out for that kind of thing. I guess I'll just have to learn to be faster!" she decided, a smile on her face.

"Daniel?" Caesar called, flying over with A.J.

"What is it?" He asked, toweling himself off.

"Tarlowe knows you're here and he wants to see you. Problem is he's kind of being held captive in a meeting with a faction."

"Which faction is it?"

"Sorry, not "a faction". The factions. All three of them."

Daniel sighed, "I better go save him then." He decided, standing up.

"Are you sure?" Maya asked, "Are you done terrorizing thirteen year old girls and throwing them across yards?"

He feinted towards her, bring his Light just close enough to the surface to make his eyes glow Arc blue again. The girl yelped in surprise and fell backwards, earning a laugh from her brother.

Daniel moved closer to Tarlowe's office door. It was sound proof but he could still hear the muffled arguing voices. He had no idea what they were going on about this time but he could make out a few words.

" _The hell is a…Regime? Is that what they said?"_ He shook his head and knocked on the door, opening it without waiting for a response.

Caesar was right. All three representatives of the factions were here, along with their personal guards. Not that this was anything strange to him. They had a regular habit of showing up, trying to sway his brother to pledge his support to one of their factions. If it wasn't the Suros company, it was Omolon or Häkke.

What was strange was them all being here together.

"Daniel." Tarlowe said, "This is unexpected. When did you get back?"

"About an hour ago." he answered, walking closer and trying not to start smile when Araach Jalaal's guard took a good whiff of him and grimaced.

"Well, welcome back. Lakshimi, you were saying?"

"I was _asking_ for an explanation. A business partnership with Omolon and Häkke? All for the sake of the Tower?"

"Yes. What part of this are you not understanding?"

"What's in it for you?" Executor Hideo spoke up.

"This is for the Guardians, not just for us." Tarlowe explained calmly, though his patience was obviously wearing thin, "My grandfather tried and even my father tried before he turned the company over to the board and they were both turned down. With the Hive back on Earth, it won't be long until Crota or worse follows. The Guardians need the full support of the City. They cannot afford to have the companies competing against each other at a time like this."

"Would rogue Guardians also have something to do with this?" Araach Jalaal asked.

Daniel stiffened. He almost forgot that it was all they knew about the Heralds.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Tarlowe's face darkened. A clear warning not to take it further.

None spoke for some time until Lakshimi stood, "I have no idea what you are planning, Mr. Suros but I'll trust you know what you're doing."

"I usually do."

"And the project?" Hideo asked.

"My concern and my concern alone." Tarlowe stated, "If we're all done here?"

Without another word, all three left. Tarlowe waited until he heard the front door close and lock before he let out a long frustrated groan.

"That was fun to watch." Daniel said, sticking out his hand.

"Glad you enjoyed yourself." Tarlowe mumbled, reaching up to shake it. Daniel had just gotten used to Tarlowe not standing to greet him. He still dreamed about it sometimes. Tarlowe being shot and nearly bleeding to death in his arms. He survived but was now bound to a wheelchair. Probably for the rest of his life.

The whole situation nearly broke his family apart even more than it already was. But things were getting better. He and Tarlowe hadn't argued in a while. That had to count for something.

"So what's this big alliance you're trying to get together?" Daniel asked, sitting down across from the desk.

"We've got a lot of prototype weapons in the works and as it turns out, so do Omolon and Häkke. But for a long time, we've all been competing to make our weapon foundries the main supplier to the Tower. It's been slowing down the output for decades and we can't get our prototypes into the Tower to be properly tested because of it. Now with the threat of these...Heralds, you can't afford for us to keep arguing amongst each other. It's time to end it."

"How inspiring."

"Go to hell."

"I will but first, what is this project? What is "Regime"?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing to worry about."

"I feel like I should."

"And I'm telling you you shouldn't." And with that, the subject was dropped. "So what exactly brings you home, Mr. Will of Light?" Tarlowe then asked.

"I was going to wait until Christine got back to tell you-"

"Tell us what?" he heard her voice from behind him. He turned to see his exhausted older sister come through the door with his younger sister.

"Uh well, since you're here now." He took a deep breath, "The Reef is calling for an alliance and The Vanguard and Speaker have agreed. They'll be sending my team and Aro's to work for the Queen for a couple of months. We leave next week."

Again, the room was silent. Daniel struggled to read the faces around him, which ranged from shocked to worried.

"The Reef?" Tarlowe finally asked, "Is it safe?"

"We're guests of the Queen. I'd assume it is."

"What do the others think of it?" Christine asked, "The others who have to go."

"Few complaints except for Erek who...kinda freaked out."

"Why? What's his problem with the Reef?"

"No idea."

"Well have you tried to find out?"

"Multiple times. He won't talk so I'm done worrying about it. Doesn't matter." Daniel leaned back, "We'll find out soon enough."

"If you say so." Christine said, standing up, "Come on, I doubt I'm the only one who's hungry."

Daniel smiled and felt the tension in the air melt away, "Alright. When do we eat?"

"Whenever you make it!" She said cheerfully.

"Wait, what? Why me?!"

"Because when we let Maya try, she thought it'd be a good idea to use Void fire and ended up disintegrating the food." She glared directly at the girl, who pointedly looked away.

"Void? You shouldn't be learning elements yet! Who taught you that? Was it the same man who taught you how to glide?"

Her eyes darted to Christine, who sighed, "It was Shino, wasn't it?"

"Shino?" Daniel laughed, "Good. Unlike the other one, I can kill him."

"You mean Aro and the gliding?" Christine asked as they walked towards the door, "You worry about your own man, I'll worry about mine."

"If you're all quite finished, I'd very much like to eat today." Tarlowe said without looking up from the holographic images floating above his desk.

"You could always make your own damn food." Daniel mumbled, walking out the door.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

"You sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"Just checking." Tarlowe said, going back to his work, "And no collapsing stars in my house, Maya!"

"It was one time!"

* * *

Kayla let out a long frustrated sigh and tossed the book onto her desk. It was interesting but she could barely focus on it. So much was already going on in her head.

She has known she was a Warmind for a while now. What she never expected was for any Warmind-like abilities to start manifesting. It was overwhelming and what was worse, she had no help in it.

No sign of the second voice as of late. Just when it was starting to become a normal occurrence. Maybe her first guess was correct. Maybe it was just nothing. But since when is it ever nothing? Aro hears the whispers of the Dark. Asura hears his other persona mumbling to himself. And the last time she had strange voices in her head, it was Rasputin himself. As much as she wished it, there was no way it could just be nothing.

" _Rasputin?"_ she asked, both her and her Ghost unsure they would get an answer this time.

Silence before the soft rumbling reply, " _Nia."_

Kayla wasted no time, " _I read somewhere that Warminds had their own personalities. Nia. What was she...I like?"_

Silence before the usual short reply, " _Cannot recall."_

She tried not to let her disappointment show in her voice, " _What do you remember?"_

" _Sub routine...D-D-DVALIN FORGE 2."_ the A.I mumbled and stuttered.

"Subroutine? What does that mean?" Sixx asked out loud.

" _WA-WARNING!"_ The A.I suddenly yelled out, " _RIFT IN SPACE AND TIME OPENED! SUPERMASSIVE STRUCTURE INBOUND! WARNING! RIFT IN SPACE AND TIME COLLAPSED! ACTIVATE PROTOCOL_ _ **CARRHAE**_ _AND PROTOCOL_ _ **CARRHAE WHITE!**_ "

" _ACTIVATE PROTOCOLS_ _ **YUGA**_ _,_ _ **VOLUSPA**_ _AND_ _ **DVALIN FORGE**_ _!_ _ **DVALIN FORGE**_ _FAILED! PROBABILITY OF_ _ **YUGA**_ _AND_ _ **VOLUSPA**_ _FAILING, 100%."_

"Kayla?" Sixx asked. She didn't answer. She couldn't answer.

" _NEPTUNE, LOST. URANUS, LOST. SATURN, LOST. JUPITER, LOST. WARNING, ALL JOVIANS LOST. MERCURY, LOST. MARS, LOST. VENUS, LOST, LUNA LOST. PROBABILITY OF EARTH LOSS,=99.999%"_

" _REWRITING CORE PROGRAMMING…ACTIVATING PROTOCOL_ _ **YUGA SUNDOWN**_ _. ACTIVATING MASTER PROTOCOL_ _**MIDNIGHT EXIGENT**_ _. SUB-PROTOCOLS_ _ **ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE**_ _AND_ _ **LOKI CROWN**_ _ON STANDBY."_

"Kayla?" her Ghost asked again, a bit more urgently. Again, she didn't answer.

" _SALVAGING REMAINS OF FAILED PROTOCOL_ _ **DVALIN FORGE**_ _. CREATING AND ACTIVATING SUBROUTINES_ _ **DVALIN FORGE 2A**_ _,_ _**DVALIN FORGE 2B**_ _AND_ _ **DVALIN FORGE 2C**_ _."_

" _ **DVALIN FORGE 2A**_ _COMMANDS SENT TO UNITED STATES AND KENYA._ _ **PROTECT THE LAST TWO. REPEAT. PROTECT THE LAST TWO.**_ "

" _ **DVALIN FORGE 2B-IKELOS**_ _COMMANDS ON STANDBY."_

" _ **DVALIN FORGE 2C**_ _COMMANDS SENT TO ISHTAR COLLECTIVE CAMPUS NINE AND OPERANT, A-A-ADRI-ADRIAN SU-"_

"KAYLA!" Her Ghost yelled.

She snapped out of her daze, holding her head in her hands, "Sixx...Sixx did you hear all of that?"

"Yes, I did. You were saying it out loud."

"What? No, that can't be right…"

Sixx played what it was recording back to her. It was everything she just heard. Only it was in her voice.

She quickly shook her head, grabbed a piece of paper and started writing down everything she could remember. Two specific parts stood out to her.

"Rasputin...or I never finished the last part. Adrian S...u?" She felt herself grow cold. " _Rasputin?"_ she called in her head, " _Adrian Suros?"_

" _ **DVALIN FORGE 2C**_ _COMMANDS SENT TO ISHTAR COLLECTIVE CAMPUS NINE AND ADRIAN SUROS."_

"Kayla. Adrian was Daniel's father. He died in the Ishtar Archives!" Sixx reminded her.

"Daniel told me his father had developed an obsession with the Archives. Why would Rasputin send him there?" she whispered, " _Rasputin?! Answer me!"_

Nothing.

She called again.

Silence.

"We need to tell Daniel. Very soon." she decided. She looked at the notes she messily scribbled down. She never got a chance to ask about " **Dvalin Forge 2A** " subroutine.

Who was Rasputin protecting in Kenya and the United States?

"I think…I think he was protecting you Kayla." Sixx said hesitantly, "I found you in Kenya. He may have been protecting Nia or you, I guess, until I could."

"But if that's true then...who exactly was he protecting in the States?"

* * *

 _So much weird sh*t happening to our Exo friends here. Hmmm..._

 _Rift in space and time? Sound familiar?_

 _Btw, most of those protocols are canon. Check the Grimoire on Rasputin but here are the definitions from the Destinypedia page_

 _ **CARRHAE**_ _\- An emergency condition which Rasputin may declare to assume command of all Solar System defenses._

 _ **CARRHAE WHITE**_ _\- An emergency condition in which the Solar System faces an external threat._

 _ **VOLUSPA**_ _\- A counterattack protocol. It was activated concurrently with YUGA_

 _ **YUGA**_ _\- A counterattack protocol. It was activated concurrently with VOLUSPA_

 _ **DVALIN FORGE**_ _\- A plan to produce weapons to arm human forces in the event of a CARRHAE emergency._

 _ **YUGA SUNDOWN**_ _\- Cancels all protocols for protecting humanity and activates MIDNIGHT EXIGENT._

 _ **MIDNIGHT EXIGENT**_ _\- A long-term counterattack protocol and moral structure change. All Warminds enter a period of extended deactivation in an effort to survive and later devise a countermeasure for an overwhelming threat._

 _ **DVALIN FORGE-2**_ _\- A modification of the original DVALIN FORGE subroutine designed to be compatible with MIDNIGHT EXIGENT_

 _ **DF -2B-IKELOS**_ _\- A new subroutine created by Rasputin to leverage Guardians to aid in his defense while MIDNIGHT EXIGENT proceeds. Utilizing the DVALIN FORGE-2 subroutine, IKELOS is designed to arm Guardians with upscaled fusion rifles.(*cough* Sleeper)_

 _(_ _ **DF 2A & 2C **__are headcanon and cannot be defined due to spoilers)_

 _ **ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE**_ _\- A last-resort measure aimed at preventing the Traveler from leaving Earth during a major calamity by crippling it._

 _ **LOKI CROWN**_ _\- Fire all available caedometric weaponry at the Traveler._


	7. I'll See You Soon

_I'll See You Soon_

* * *

"Looks like it's gonna rain soon." Shino said, staring up at the sky.

"And I was just about to ask how the weather was up there." Mira joked, earning a snort from May.

"If you're going to make height jokes, at least make original ones."

"Fight me."

"Climb on top of May's shoulders whenever you're ready. I'll take you both."

May's snort became a full on laugh.

The sun was going down for the night and the City had decongested a bit. Mira, Shino and May took their last bit of free time to make a visit to a friend's grave. The jokes were a regular thing amongst them. Laughing to keep from crying.

The closer they got to the cemetery, the quieter they became. Years after the incident had occurred and they were still scarred by it. None of them could get rid of the guilt they felt. Mira and Shino being unable to protect their former leader, Marie and May being the one she died for.

No one had spoken for sometime by the time they reached the deceased Warlock's grave.

A grave with someone was already sitting in front of it.

"Aashir?" May asked, surprise clear in her voice.

The Exo Warlock turned slightly to look at them. "May, Mira, Shino. I assume you're here for the same reason as me?"

"More or less." Mira answered coldly. Neither she nor Shino had fully forgiven what he had said on the Moon. Mostly because they felt that his words, although harsh and from a place of panic and hurt, were true. At least they felt it was.

"So the others. They leave tomorrow." Aashir continued, without turning to face them, "Daniel was here just an hour ago. He wanted to visit his parents' graves before he left."

After a few seconds of silence, May went and sat down next to Aashir, "He usually does that before a big mission." Shino and Mira sat down behind them.

"Erek was here as well. I assume that's a recent regular occurrence?"

"He said he wanted to start doing it more often."

'...Good for him. It's a good thing to do."

The silence was longer this time. All four just sat down in front of the grave. Lost in their own thoughts. Lost in their own guilt.

"I know you blame yourself. Just as we do." Mira suddenly said, looking up at Aashir's hunched back.

Aashir waited a long time before answering, "It was my job to teach her and I let this happen. I was too relaxed with her. If I had just been harsher, maybe she wouldn't have done something as stupid as go to the Moon before she was ready." He said angrily.

His hand balled into a fist and started to shake slightly, "She could've sent an alert to Guardians in the area. She could've contacted the Tower. She could've done anything else. Then she'd still be here today."

May looked away, trying not to let anyone see the tears about to the fall. It was her fault. She sent out the signal. Her Ghost had found her centuries old corpse in the Hellmouth on the Moon. With no way out, they sent out an S.O.S. Marie, Mira and Shino received the signal and against orders and protocol for Rank I Guardians, responded.

"But every time I find myself getting angry, I remember that she was everything a Guardian should be. Selfless and self sacrificing. A hero in every sense of the word. I wish she was still here but I couldn't be more proud of her." Aashir finally finished, straightening up.

"Sometimes…" Mira started and stopped, as if unsure whether or not to continue. Aashir patiently waited for her to continue.

"Sometimes, I feel like I'm wrong. To be leader, I mean. I'm not her and I could never hope to be. I'm not her replacement. I shouldn't have to be."

"Be the best you can be. For your team and for her. That's all you can do." Aashir said before walking away. He stopped before he got too far and turned, "I have a feeling that things are going to get much harder from here on out. All three of you have shown time and again that you have what it takes. Let's all make sure nothing like this," he gestured towards the grave, "Happens to anyone else."

He lifted his right arm slightly, to look down at the Will of Light clan mark. He shook his head, "You know as well as I do. This world is no good for heroes."

* * *

"Another." Erek grumbled after placing his cup down, "Something stronger."

"Don't you have some place to be tomorrow?" Jessie asked. The Exo Titan looked as if she was deciding to take the drink away. The day was over, so she was out of uniform, wearing nothing but dark jeans and a sleeveless shirt that displayed the clan mark on her black metallic left shoulder. Sora was on his right.

"Can't go if I die from alcohol poisoning." The frame placed the drink in front of him. He downed it before it could leave.

"Nothing but water for him, please." she said. Erek glared at her.

"Erek…"

"I'm fine. You two can stop bothering me."

"Seriously, Erek. What is it about the Reef that has got you drinking yourself into a stupor?" Sora asked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Getting a bit sick of you giving us the run around."

"And I'm a bit sick of having to answer that question. For the last time, you will all find out. Once you do, you can tear into me as much as you want."

"Did you do something wrong?" Jessie whispered, leaning closer.

"Only if you consider what me and Eren had a bad thing. _They_ did." he mumbled venomously.

"They-" Jessie was stopped by Sora, who shook her head. She sighed and stood, "Head to bed soon. Alright?"

"Alright." Erek mumbled. Sora squeezed his shoulder softly before the two of them walked out.

The lounge was silent tonight. Most people had already left. Erek tried not to let his surprise show when Shin Malphur suddenly sat down next to him and ordered a drink.

"When did you get back?" Erek asked, feeling a strange need to break the silence.

"About fifteen minutes ago." Shin replied without looking at him, "So I hear you leave tomorrow?"

"You heard?" Erek asked, staring at the table.

"I was listening to the whole thing, remember?"

"So…"

"Yeah. I heard your little outburst too."

"I'm not telling you why." Erek growled, lifting the cup of water to his mouth.

"Don't bother. I already know."

The cup stopped, "What? Why?! This was between me and the Vanguard!"

"And the Speaker and Shaxx and now me. The last thing any of us should be doing is keeping secrets from our friends."

"I...I just don't want them to start seeing me as any different."

"If you knew anything about them, you'd know that they never would."

Erek finished the water, "We'll see. So...the Heralds. Do you think we'll encounter them again?"

Shin put down his own cup, "All the Heralds? Or just one?" he asked, looking Erek directly in the eye.

Erek looked away but still felt the gaze boring into him.

"No matter what, you need to keep your head. Yor was a beast. Lust is even stronger."

"Are you telling me you wouldn't have reacted the exact same way?" Erek seethed.

"Dredgen Yor killed my first adoptive father, destroyed my village and killed nearly everyone in it and then killed Jaren Ward, my second adoptive father. My third father altogether. But yes, I still wouldn't have bum rushed the monster."

"Well aren't you just special." Erek almost laughed.

"We are Hunters. We aren't designed to take on our enemies directly. We don't have a Titan's armor nor do we have a Warlock's recovery abilities. If you want to take him down, you need to out think him." Shin Malphur stood and slipped his jacket back on, "I see a lot of the old him in you. Before Palamon. Before Jaren Ward. Back when he still had his team. Back when he was the hero we remember him as. A person can only handle so much loss and pain before they break. Fix your situation at the Reef. At least try to. The last thing I'd want is to see you go down the same path he did." He started for the stairway.

"That. will. _never._ happen!" Erek growled, squeezing the cup in his hand.

Shin stopped at the stairs, "The day of his teammates' funeral, Dredgen Yor told me the same thing." he said before continuing his ascent.

Erek's Ghost appeared, "C'mon. We're done here. We've got an early start tomorrow."

"I'm not ready for this. I'm really not."

"I know. But some sleep will do you good. And you should probably calm down."

Only then did he notice that the glass in his hand had started cracking under his grip. He sighed, placed extra Glimmer on the table to pay for the damage and trudged up to his room for yet another restless night.


	8. The Reef, Asteroid Belt

_The Reef, Asteroid Belt_

* * *

"You ready for this?" Kain asked.

"Not really, no." Aro sighed, "But not much of a choice at this point."

"Or at any point."

Aro laughed, "C'mon. Everything's packed. We should head out." He left his room, hesitating only slightly before locking it behind him. He felt his coat for the tell tale bulge that told him that Toland's journal was with him. He went over to Asura's door and knocked, "Asura? Come on, let's go."

A frustrated, tired groan was his reply.

"For fu-are you still asleep?!"

"…No."

Aro ran a hand over his face, "Spirit, why is he still asleep?!"

"I've been trying to wake him up! He was up until almost sunrise!"

"Asura, this is important! This is the Reef. We have to leave!"

"Screw the Reef!"

"Erek would agree." Kain added.

"You're not helping. Spirit?!"

"Yes?" The Ghost replied.

"Get him out of bed and ready by any means necessary. If he won't budge, call Mira and Shino."

"Alright! I'll get up. Just don't call those two."

* * *

"You're late." Ikora said as she watched Asura and Aro enter the Hangar.

"I apologize." Aro said. All the others were there, including the Vanguard and the Speaker. Aro couldn't help but notice how little all of them got together. And even how little they talked amongst each other. He hoped to change that when things calm down again.

"Don't bother. I know who's at fault." She said, giving a pointed look at Asura.

"Well!" Cayde walked, "I'm not one for big speeches so if you're ready to go, talk to Amanda. She'll see you all off."

"Alright." Aro replied. Asura simply nodded sleepily.

"This is a mission just like any other." Ikora said, "You know what to do?"

"We understand everything."

"I have no doubts. Good luck and we'll see you back when it is time." With that, Cayde and Ikora left the Hangar.

Zavala held back, speaking softly to Crona. After a few minutes, she leaned in and was enveloped into a tight hug. It had been strange at first. Both were tough as nails, never prone to showing any form of affection except after the most trying times. But Aro had gotten used to it now.

Now, it just made him wonder. What was his family like before…everything? He wondered, not for the first time, if he had siblings or even descendants in the City. He'll never know his original family but he's happy to have this new one.

As if summoned, a large brown hand slapped him on the back, knocking him out of his thoughts, "You ready to go?" Josef asked, Aveline and Aashir behind him.

"As I'll ever be."

"I'm kinda jealous, I admit." Josef laughed, scratching his dark beard, "I've always wanted to visit the Reef. See the place where my mother came from."

"Yeah but you've heard of how they treat Earthborn Awoken." Aveline said, "How do you think they'd react to a bunch of half breeds like us?"

Josef sighed, "I can't argue with that."

"Hopefully by the time this is over, we'll have changed a few minds." Aro said.

Aashir moved up closer, "You know what you're going there to do?"

"Yes, I do. Do you know what you'll be doing here?"

"I think I can handle myself."

"Mmmhmm." Aro took a quick look at Josef and Aveline, "Just try not to let anyone kill anyone else. Permanently."

Aashir said nothing.

"Aro, it's time." Amanda came up to them. She gave him a quick hug, "Stay safe."

"Always."

With quick final goodbyes to all the others, Fireteams Aro and Daniel were taken up into their ships. Aro set the backpack down next to his chair and checked the cargo hold to ensure they had gotten everything he had packed.

Kain started the ship. The ship detached from the Hangar floor and hovered slightly in the air.

"Engines primed." Kain announced, "Shall we?"

"Take off."

The engines fired at full force. The ship slid out of the open Hangar door and descended only slightly before flying off into the sky.

The other five ships quickly followed and joined him orbit.

"Is there a specific place we should look for?" Kayla asked.

"The Vestian Outpost I was told." Aro replied as Kain set the coordinates, "I haven't found much information about it."

"It's a small relatively new outpost, built during the Reef Wars." Erek muttered over the comms.

"You seem to know a lot about it." Asura said.

"Yeah, you know, I _lived_ there."

"Were you part of the military too?"

"Umm…yeah, kinda."

"…That's all you're gonna say, isn't it?"

"Yeah, kinda."

* * *

There was little talking during their trip. Everyone was wrapped up in their own thoughts and hobbies. Aro was reading.

"Hey, Aro?" Daniel's voice came through the comms. He sounded strained.

"What are you doing?" Aro asked, slightly closing the book.

"Push ups."

"…Why?"

"Why not? I'm just trying to look good for you. What are you doing?"

"Reading." Aro replied, laughing slightly.

"Anything interesting?"

"Uhhh…"Aro stalled, taking a quick look down at Toland's journal, "No?"

"Are you lying?"

"…No?"

That earned him a bark of laughter, "Fine, don't tell me. I'll leave you to it."

"We're almost there. We'll talk soon."

"Can't wait." The comms cut off.

"You can't keep this from him forever." Kain said.

"I don't plan to."

"You've had that thing for two years. And you've been dating for the same amount of time. He needs to know about it."

"Daniel hates the Heralds, Kain. Probably even more than me. I can't even talk about them without the air crackling with Arc Light. And Greed is simply unmentionable."

"And you think Toland is as well by association?"

"He still calls Toland, Gluttony."

"Fair enough. You know what you're doing."

The conversation was dropped. Aro flipped to the back of the journal. The last entry before Toland's incursion to the Moon. He spent time back there for the song Toland had discovered and written down, called " _The Dawn Will Come"._ Aro had traced its origins and was surprised at how much it resonated with his life.

Most of all, it gave him a sense of desperately needed hope. The Heralds, all generations of them, have never been defeated. Asura or at least Wrath(A) was a testament to that. Several have been killed in battle but they always won the war.

It was arrogance to believe humanity would somehow be different. He had to believe nonetheless. It was probably the only thing that kept him going.

The ship started to slow down, "Kain?"

"We're here."

The ship broke out of warp. Aro was greeted by a massive line of even bigger rocks and ships all surrounded by a dull, hazy violet glow.

"They made their home out a graveyard of ships." Crona said, the amazement clear in her voice.

"Where do we go from here, Aro?" Asura asked.

"We contact them now." Aro put in the security clearance code he was given, "This is Arochukwu of the Warlock Order of Guardians and leader of the Will of Light clan requesting clearance for six to land at the Vestian Outpost."

Silence at first as their ships drifted on. Then, " _I am sending you and your party the coordinates, Guardians."_ A sharp feminine voice commanded, " _Follow them exactly."_

"Line up with me, you guys." Aro commanded, speeding his ship up slightly. Despite the maze of broken ships and asteroids the size of mountains, they had little difficulty maneuvering their ships through.

"Erek, how does anyone live out here?" Kayla asked.

"Everything is built with stabilizers and magnetic force fields to keep even the biggest asteroids away." Erek explained as they drifted around what Aro figures to be homes and businesses.

"What about moving from place to place?" Aro asked.

"Large walkways between metropolitan areas."

"Interesting." The ships began to slow down again, "We've arrived."

The ships hovered to a stop once inside the Vestian Hangar. The Awoken and frames walking from place to place paid the new arrivals little mind. The outpost had the same purple haze as the rest of the Reef with a few lit areas. Far in the back was a large door with heraldry Aro knew symbolized the Queen of the Reef.

The six ships docked. "This is it. Disembark." Aro said. The ship door opened and slowly dropped to the ground. Outside, a young Awoken woman with dark red hair tied in a tight bun. She had striking blue eyes and despite her serious expression, a mouth that has seen its share of smiles. She was a professional when she needed to be.

"Welcome, Will of Light." She said once all of them had walked down, "My name is Petra Venj, the Wrath of the Queen. Your belongings will be transported to your rooms shortly. If you'll follow me."

She turned and briskly walked off without a word. Plenty of people were staring and whispering now. Aro followed with the others close behind him. Erek kept to the back.

The came to the door with the large banner and the soldiers guarding it promptly moved aside and allowed the door open.

"How should I refer to you, Miss Venj?" Aro started.

"Petra is fine."

"When do we get out instructions, Petra?"

"Tomorrow, after you've rested. Today, you will be meeting the Queen and her brother."

"I didn't realize we'd be meeting them so soon." Aro said, looking behind him at the others. The others looked as confused as he was. Erek looked like he was going to be sick.

"Right through here." Petra came to a door, "I have duties to attend to so someone else will show you to your rooms afterwards. The Speaker specifically recommended your clan, Will of Light. Cool name by the way."

"Thank you." Aro flashed a smile, receiving one in return.

"I assume you know how to behave around royalty. Arochukwu, Asura, Crona, Kayla, Daniel and…Erek. Hmm…"

"Is there a problem?" Aro asked.

"No, it's just that you look like someone I knew. I apologize. Good luck and welcome to the Reef." With one last look at Erek, she quickly walked away.

"Am I the only one afraid for what Erek's big secret might be?" Asura asked once she was out of earshot.

"No, you're not." Erek replied flatly.

The whole area shook and the massive doors in front of them slowly began to open, showing a long open walkway ending at a small throne. Two Awoken guards were directly in front of the door, ordering them into the throne room.

With a sigh, Aro stepped through.

* * *

 _Not as dramatic as I hoped. Hopefully I can do the next two chapters justice. You know how I live for drama. But it's actually pretty hard to describe the Reef in its entirety since we see so little of it._

 _I'll try to start answering reviews on here to people I can't reply to._

 _ **CharMaster**_ _: I can't give a direct answer due to spoilers but if you recall from Wrath(A)'s memories, he was flying away as the planet was destroyed. He doesn't have or at least remember any final redeeming moments._


	9. The Queen of the Awoken

_I know y'all have been waiting for her. But this is a pretty short chapter for such a big reveal._

* * *

 _The Queen of the Awoken_

* * *

Aro and the others slowly made their way down the walkway, guards leading them to the throne. The path was narrow but large enough to hold them all. The guards suddenly stopped and moved to the sides,

allowing the Guardians full view of the empty throne.

Aro took the time to look around the room. It was dark from a lack of lighting and few sounds could be heard outside of the room. It was almost disconcerting how the loudest sounds were their breathing.

Then Aro heard clattering. Like multiple, fast moving footsteps.

" _Kain? Do you…"_

" _Yeah I hear it too. It's getting closer."_

Two navy blue Fallen suddenly crawled out from behind the throne, holding massive staves in their claws.

The Guardians' reactions were almost immediate, guns and knives manifesting in various hands and aimed at the two Fallen.

Aro was half a second away from reducing the Fallen Vandals to nothing when he was stopped by the cold curved blade pressing against his throat. His eye flicked towards the guard holding the blade. Her hand was unwavering but tense, prepared to open his throat at a moment's notice. Despite her outward bravery, Aro could still feel the hint of fear in her mind. If he truly was a threat, killing him would amount to nothing.

It wasn't the first time someone had struggled with the decision.

" _They are afraid of the Fallen._ "

The dark blue Fallen took a less aggressive stance at the sound of the soft yet powerful voice, placing their staves to their sides. Aro could see three forms moving closer behind them.

First, a young Awoken man with angry orange eyes and slick black hair alongside a green and white Fallen, with chain mail covering its mouth and a long brown staff slamming the ground with every step.

Behind them both was the source of the voice. A beautiful woman with short feathery white hair, a lithe frame and piercing blue eyes that Aro could almost feel looking into and around his mind. She stopped at the throne and gracefully sat down, one leg leisurely crossed over the other. She wasn't afraid of them. Or even impressed.

" _They do not understand that these are mine._ " She finished. With a slight wave of her hand, the guards sheath their weapons. The Guardians quickly did the same.

"Our sincerest apologies, your Grace." Aro quickly said, bowing slightly, "Force of habit from fighting Fallen since the day I was reborn."

The green Fallen tapped his staff to the ground twice, letting out a small growl before speaking, "You have your wits about you. Gooood. My name is Variks, Guaaardians. Scribe for the lost Eliksni House of Judgement. My Kell, my Prince and I welcome you to the Reef."

" _A Fallen that speaks English?"_ Kain asked. Aro was just as surprised.

"Your "habits" could've gotten you into a lot of trouble." The man, who Aro assumed was the Prince, growled, "I highly suggest you curtail them while you're here. Our kingdom is no place for such violence."

"Yes, your Highness."

The Prince looked all six of them over, slightly double taking when he got to Erek, who refused to look him in the eye.

"Right. To work then." Uldren pressed a small button on a device wrapped around his wrist. The device started to blink red. "We were told that you had important information to share with us. Something that couldn't be spoken about over open communication. This is being recorded. Speak, Will of Light."

The guards behind them bowed, turned on their heels and walked out. Aro waited until he heard the door close to begin.

"There are a group of corrupted Guardians working to bring the downfall of Earth. They have been enthralled by the Darkness but it has been of their own free will."

"Guardians taken by Darkness?" Variks said, "Are they like yoooour Dredgen Yor?"

"Yes but stronger. Much stronger. And Dredgen Yor is actually one of them."

"Dredgen Yor is dead." The Queen cut in, her soft voice somehow silencing the entire room, "Or are we mistaken?"

"Yes…and no, your Grace. Dredgen Yor _was_ dying. The Darkness finds these Guardians at the brink of death and offers them a bargain." Aro explained, "It brings them back to life and makes them nigh immortal for the whatever reason that they wish the most. In exchange, they offer their free will to the Darkness. Dredgen Yor took this deal as did…six others." Aro quickly said, leaving his and Asura's involvement out of the conversation.

It was almost strange how calmly they were all taking it. Did they already know something? Aro had heard of rumors that the Queen converses with the Nine. He figured that's all they were; rumors.

Prince Uldren turned to his sister, who nodded almost imperceptibly. He turned back, "We will continue this conversation another time." He pressed the button again, ending his recording and another. Aro heard the large doors behind them open and he turned to watch the Queen's Guards come down the walkway.

"These women will show you to your rooms." Uldren said, "Your belongings have been brought to them.

"Thank you, sir." Aro started to turn along with the others. Unlike Erek, who looked ready to bolt.

"Hold, Guardians." The Queen's rang out, stopping them in their tracks, "Before you take your leave, I would have your names."

"Of course. My name is Arochukwu. Please call me Aro."

"Daniel Suros."

"Kayla-7."

"Crona."

"Asura."

Silence.

"Are you deaf, Guardian?" Uldren asked after a few seconds, stepping off the throne. Erek's eyes were squeezed shut and he was turned around slightly, still mostly facing the door, pointedly away from the throne.

" _What the hell is he doing?"_ Aro yelled to Kain.

" _Getting us executed apparently."_

Uldren stepped off the throne completely now. He stomped towards Erek, pushing past the Guardians, who were reluctant to let him get to Erek.

"You dare disobey the Que-" Uldren grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around.

Uldren's hand dropped to his side and he took a step back. Erek looked at him sadly.

"Erek?" Uldren breathed, bewildered. Even the Queen had stood up from her throne, the same look on her face.

Erek's shoulders were slumped, "Hello Uldren. Mara. It's…it's been a while." he said quietly.

Uldren let out a laugh that was as bitter as it was loud. "Would you look at this! After all this time..."He looked back at his sister, "The wayward Prince has graced us with his return home!"

A beat of deafening silence. Then shuffling behind them. Aro broke his gaze away from Erek and Uldren to look at the cause of the noise.

It was the guards.

They were bowing.

* * *

 _Book 2, Chapter 19_

 _ **Erek:**_ _"Those bastards are not my family."_

 _How many of you guessed this was Erek's big secret? If not, what did you think caused him to leave the Reef with Eren?_

 _P.S: Its finals week so there won't be any uploading until sometime after this week_


	10. The Prince of the Awoken

_The Prince of the Awoken_

"...Is this a joke?" Katrina said, wide awake now.

It was the middle of the night back on Earth. That didn't stop Aro from calling up the rest of the clan to tell them the big news. Or at least making Erek tell them the news. It was his story to tell anyway.

Katrina was the one who was called as Aro knew she was the lightest sleeper. You wouldn't last very long as a Hunter in the wilds of you weren't. In contrast, Aro could Josef snoring in the background and his sister hitting him awake.

Everyone was taking the big reveal in their own way. Most of them were more hurt than angry that Erek didn't trust them enough to tell them. Especially after all they've been through.

Daniel, however, was angry. Or just as hurt or even more heart. Aro couldn't tell but he was pacing back and forth in the room they had gathered in.

"Could you tell Daniel to sit down?" Katrina asked annoyed.

"You can come over here and make me!" A yell came from off screen.

An exasperated sigh, "Fine, whatever. Erek? The truth. All of it," Katrina said.

The man sighed, "Yes, I am or at least was Awoken royalty. The Queen and the Prince are my younger sister and brother." He ran a hand over his recently shortened black hair.

"Younger? So were you heir to the throne?"

Everything went silent. Daniel had even stopped pacing with his back to the group, awaiting his answer.

"No," he answered after a few seconds, "The Reef is matriarchal in most aspects of society but not when it comes to choosing our leaders. Mara was simply more qualified, so she was chosen over me."

"Wait, wait, wait," Daniel said, "Is that why you left? Because you were denied the crown?"

"No, it's not. If you'd just listen-"

"Why should I? You go this long without telling us and just expect me not to question everything that comes out of your mouth now?"

"Daniel?" Aro called.

"It wasn't any of your business! Or anyone else's!" Erek shot back, "Besides, who the fuck are you to talk?! How long did you keep Lust's identity for me?"

"Erek, thats enough-" Aro said, standing up.

"Kayla and I were under orders!"

Without warning, Crona stuck her fingers into her mouth and blew as hard as she could. Nearly everyone in the room and even those on Earth cringed at the shrill whistle.

She calmly waited for the cursing and complaints to quiet down, "Now if you two are done, I'd like for Erek to finish his story," she beckoned him to continue.

After one last disdainful look at Daniel, he sat back down in front of the screen, "Nobody had any idea I was to be a Guardian. I was claimed by my Ghost on Earth. After...everything. My parents had a completely different set of goals for me," he continued.

"What do you mean?" Katrina asked. They could see the others behind her lean slightly closer to her to hear his answer.

"The ruler of the Reef has two "hands" if you will. The Right Hand is their more "public" face. A direct representative of the Queen or King, in both peace and war. That was to be Uldren's job."

"The Prince?" Asura asked, speaking up for the first time in hours, "They wanted _him_ to be the Queen's public face?"

"He was a much softer person before I left. Both jobs take their toll on you." Erek answered, shoulders dropping slightly.

"Can we assume you were the Left Hand?" They heard May ask in the background.

"Yes. People would know who I am and my position but that would be it. I was to gather intelligence on, well, everyone. Those who would be of interest or a threat to the Queen and the Reef and if need be, deal with it directly and quietly."

The quiet in the room couldn't get any louder, "You were an assassin." Katrina said.

"Assassin, spy and occasional military commander. Its why I prefer a blade to a gun." Erek confirmed, leaning back, "It's just how I was raised."

"And then?"

Erek sighed, "And then I met Eren. A common Awoken woman from a common Awoken family."

"Are you not allowed to have relationships?" Aro asked.

"For the Left Hand, it's actively discouraged but not explicitly forbidden. This isn't the line of work you want too many people who could be used against you unless you were sure you were good enough to protect them. What is forbidden, is intermarrying between social classes so far apart." Erek glowered at the ground, "I grew sick of it. And of the life my parents decided for me. To make it short, I stayed for the entirety of the Reef Wars. During the celebrations, I grabbed Eren and we left for Earth."

"The Reef has social classes?" Josef's voice came offscreen.

"The commoners at the bottom, the military, the advisors to the Queen and the Royals at the top. In the upper classes, marriage is a matter of inheritance and status. Few lucky ones actually fall in love, like my parents," he explained, his voice dropping slightly at the mention of his mother and father, "I made...the "mistake" of falling love with a common girl. My parents vehemently disapproved and forbade me to see her for a long time. When they passed and Mara was crowned, she maintained the decision."

His hands started shaking, "She and Uldren took the advisors' side over me. Their own brother. I hated them but I stayed for the Reef Wars to make sure they and the kingdom were safe. But the second it was over, I ran. I don't hate them anymore but I still planned to never come back."

No one spoke for the longest time. Daniel had his back to the group again but it seemed he had cooled off a bit during Erek's explanation. Whether that meant he was okay with the deception was still unclear.

Not even Aro knew how he should handle this. What he did know was that it had been a long day and he was the one who had to be awake early, "Everyone out. Get some rest." he said, "We can discuss this another time."

"I plan to." Daniel rumbled, stalking away for the bathroom at the back of the room. Erek stood without a word or a look to anyone and walked out. Crona, Kayla and Asura slowly did the same until Aro was alone in the room he and Daniel shared.

Back on Earth, only Aashir was still in front of the monitor.

"What?" Aro asked tiredly after a few seconds of being stared at.

The Exo's bright blue eyes never shifted, "Just wondering how you plan to handle all of this."

"I'll...figure something out." he answered.

"Mmm." Aashir looked him up and down, "Try not to let anyone kill anybody else, _leader._ " he said, clearly mocking him. The screen shut off without another word.

In the back, Aro could hear Daniel cursing quietly in the bathroom. Probably trying to figure out the shower. Aro exhaled tiredly and asked Kain to wake him up earlier than he planned. He'd have to shower in the morning.


	11. The Face of Evil

_The Face of Evil_

* * *

This was getting old.

The swirling dark clouds above, the monsters screaming at him below and the six, formerly seven pairs of red eyes staring him down. None of this was new.

He still remembered the dream he had two years ago, after they had returned from the Moon. No one but Daniel knew about it. There was no reason to worry everyone over what might have just been a dream.

Now, two years later, he was having the same dream again. A seventh fading in and out of existence; eyes flickering between two colors, a malevolent red and the warm, familiar pink he had known since the day he arrived at the Tower.

But unlike the last time, this figure didn't attempt to attack him. As a matter of fact, every Herald, both the ones he recognized and the ones he didn't shrank back, fear written all over their faces and body language. Only the figure at the center stood where they were.

For the first time, Aro dared to move closer. He ignored the abominations under his feet, trying to focus through his fear. Maybe, just maybe if he could get closer, he could finally find out who they were. Who was it that was controlling the Heralds' actions? Who was it that forced Greed to try and kill Tarlowe? Who was there with him when all of this began?

He began running. One by one, as he got closer, the other Heralds disappeared. The familiar pink eyed one first, then the one black silhouette that he assumed to be Envy. Then Wrath(K), Greed, Lust and Sloth until only the last was left.

The figure had its back turned to him, facing the swirling darkness in the sky. Aro slowed to a cautious walk, ignoring the twisting sickness in his stomach that got worse as he got closer. He lifted a shaky hand and placed it tentatively on the person's shoulder.

The head slowly twisted around to face him…

And Aro woke up with startled yell.

Before he had time to regain his bearings, he was roughly pushed from the bed. He picked himself off the floor and looked over the bed to see Daniel run into the bathroom with something bright in his hands and knock several things over. After about a minute of banging and cursing, Daniel trudged out of the bathroom with something black and dripping wet in his hands.

"Bad dream?" he asked, tossing the object on the ground. It was Aro's pillow. It had burst into flames right under his head and by the look of Daniel's open palm, he had burned himself trying to get rid of it.

Aro swallowed and sank back down to the ground, "Your arm-"

"Nothing to worry about," he said, giving a reassuring smile. The burns already healing over, "I've fought with enough Warlocks and Hunters to know what a real burn looks like. This is nothing. First degree at most."

"I-I...shit, I'm sorry." Aro head fell into his hands as he attempted to calm down.

After a few seconds, Daniel slowly dropped down on the ground next to him, "The last time a nightmare even nearly that bad was two year ago. Was it the same one?"

Aro shook his head, "I was just caught...off guard."

"Saw something you didn't expect to see?"

"Saw something I hoped I wouldn't," he replied.

Daniel exhaled and ran a hand through his own messy black hair, 'Do you want to talk about it?"

When Aro didn't answer, he sighed and gently grabbed his arm and helped him stand up on shaky legs. Aro was pulled back into the bed and wrapped in Daniel's arms. Before Aro could get comfortable, he started pulling back.

"What, what is it?" Daniel asked, disappointment crossing his face.

"Maybe it's better if I...sleep alone. In case I have another dream." Aro said, looking away.

Daniel's grip tightened, "I don't care about that," he said roughly.

Aro gave him an incredulous look, "The last thing my head was on burst into flames. I'm not doing that to you."

"No, you're not." Daniel agreed, bringing himself up on his knees, a soft smile on his face, "I trust you."

Aro opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He sighed and slowly fell back onto Daniel's chest. Daniel's arms wrapped tightly around him and his hands ran slowly up and down Aro's back, tiny sparks of Arc energy emanating from his hand, just the way he knew Aro liked. The rough hand slid to the base of his back and went lower…

"Daniel?"

"Mmm, commando."

"Daniel."

"Sorry," he lied with a smile in his voice.

Aro listened to the heart beating under his head. He focused on it, blocking all other sounds and sensations out. Slowly, he could feel the fear and apprehension leave him.

* * *

"Sleep well?" Crona asked, leaving her room.

Aro sighed and ran a hand over his face, "Not very. Come on, we need to talk."

"Alright. Should I go get Asura?"

"No, let him sleep. I don't think he should hear this anyway."

A slightly worried look crossed her face, "Okay."

They walked towards the mess hall of the Vestian Outpost. It was slightly crowded, full of soldiers and military officers, mostly female. A few of them fell silent when they got a glimpse of the Human walking into the mess hall. Then the whispers started.

Aro could do without the whispers but the food looked decent. He wondered where they even got it, out here in the Asteroid Belt.

"So what's the big secret?" Crona asked, mouth already full of food.

"I had this nightmare-"

"Nothing new." Crona said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yes and no."

She frowned, "I don't get it."

"It was the same as it always is, yes, but there were some differences. Gluttony's face and form are gone. But they've been replaced."

She stopped, "Do you know who?"

"Someone…someone with pink eyes. And some sort of blade."

She seemed to think over who it could possibly be. He could tell when she reached a conclusion.

"Shit," she cursed, "Aro, are you sure?!"

"I'm positive."

"No…no, it makes no sense. Neither Asura-" she lowered her voice, "Neither Asura nor Wrath(A) would join the Heralds!"

"That's why it makes no sense!"

She let out a long sigh, "Anything else?"

"I…I was able to move. I got close to who I figured to be Pride and turned him around so I could see his face."

"Well did you?!"

"He turned around and I saw myself, Crona. My face!" The memory was just as jarring as the experience.

"Your face? Exactly the same?"

"A few more scars. And it looked…I don't know, angry and malicious. But it was my face."

She was silent for a long time, "What do you think that means?"

"I wasn't sure before," he answered, "But what if the situation is the same as Asura's? What if, this whole time, I'm the one they've been talking about? What if I really am Pride?"

"Aro-"

"I'm serious, Crona!" he said, a bit louder than planned, "What if it's just a latent personality that someone is trying to bring out of me? What if that was what Toland helped me awaken on the Moon?" He didn't believe the last suggestion. But what could he believe at this point?

"I understand your concern but I really feel you're reaching, Aro," she stood.

"But do you admit it would make sense?" he asked, "Do you admit it would explain everything?"

"Not everything. But…yes, I guess I have to."

After a few seconds, she started to walk away from the table before Aro called her name.

He looked her in the eye, "Do not tell Asura. He's got enough to think about."

"…Of course."

* * *

"Good…is it dark? What time is it?" Daniel asked his little sister.

"Umm, three…in the morning?" Maya answered, twisting her hair.

"Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"…Yes."

"You shouldn't be messing around on the computer at this time!"

"But you're the one who called me!" She quickly reminded him.

He was about to shoot something back until he realized he was arguing with a thirteen year old. And losing. He fell back in his chair and sighed.

"So how's the Reef?" she asked, smug.

"Purple." He answered flatly, "And the showers are impossible here. I had to ask Aro to come heat up the water. Of course, the egghead figured it out within a few minutes…"

"Just because you're missing a few screws doesn't mean everyone else is a genius."

"I…did I do something? Why are you so mean?"

She smiled, "Nope! Anyway, anything interesting happen yet?"

"Nothing yet. You know why I'm here. I'm not looking for excitement."

"I understand. So I was thinking…do Guardians have some kind of, I don't know, a salute or something?"

"Fist to the heart. That's it really."

"What about clans specifically?"

"A few but it's not common. Why?"

"I was wondering, wouldn't it be cool if Will of Light had their own?"

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"No really! Something like this!" She raised her hand to the screen. It was balled into a fist with the thumb, pointer and middle fingers sticking outwards.

Daniel held the same three fingers up, "Why three fingers?" he asked, laughing.

She shrugged, " I don't know. Three classes? Five groups of three? Three elements? Guardians seem to like the number three."

Daniel started laughing even harder, "I'm telling the others; this is gold."

"No! Please don't!"

"Why not?"

Maya sank into her chair, "I just don't want them to make fun of me. I know I'm not going to be an actual Guardian for a long time but…but it's nice; to feel like I'm already apart of something big and I guess I'm just a bit excited."

Daniel's smiled softly, "They'd never make fun of you. You know that," he shrugged, "But if you don't want me to tell them, I won't say a thing."

She smiled back, "Thanks."

He headed Aro's familiar heavy footsteps coming towards the door, "Go to bed, kid. Don't let me hear about you falling asleep in class," he ordered before cutting the transmission.

* * *

The halls hadn't changed since the last time Erek had walked them.

Or had they? He rarely bothered to look around when he was there. If he wasn't busy "serving from the shadows", he was thinking about a girl like the love struck teenager he was never allowed to be.

He felt the footsteps in the ground before heard them. Someone was coming. He could tell they were alone so it wasn't his sister. A bit too light to be Uldren. He had to resist the urge to cloak himself.

Petra turned the corner, eyes in a tablet, not watching where she was going. Some things never changed.

He called her name and she jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, "My Prince, may I help you?"

He sighed, "It's Erek, Petra. Just Erek."

"Of…of course," she replied hesitantly.

"And it's nothing. I'm just looking around."

"Would you like company?"

"If you want."

He walked with her towards where he remembered one of the outpost's many control rooms were. This stupid Ketch had no business being this big.

"So…you're a Guardian now?" Petra asked in an attempt to break the silence.

"Have been for some time. A Hunter," he replied, trying to keep the irritation from his voice. He wasn't angry at her. As a matter of fact, she was always a good friend. But just being back here was driving him mad.

"A Hunter, yes, I recognize the symbols. I spent some time as the Queen's ambassador to Earth. I never saw you."

"From what a friend of mine told me, it was a year before my Ghost claimed me."

"There are specific ages you are claimed?" She asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"Twenty one years old. The rule was put in place due to claimed teenagers losing regard for their own mortality. Or lack of."

She laughed, "That makes sense."

Another few seconds of silence before she asked, "I saw two of your teammates. A blue colored Exo and a dark skinned together. Is the girl Earthborn?"

"Crona? Yes. Her father is the Commander."

"Ah, yes. Zavala. He left the Reef when his Ghost came here and found him, correct?"

"That's what I was told."

"Mmm, anyway, I saw a mark on her right shoulder. And a matching one on the left forearm of a blue Exo I ran into later on. Is that your clan mark?"

"Yes, it is." Her random questions told him she was trying to work her way towards another question. He's sure he knew what it was. He hoped he was wrong.

"Do you have one? And all the others?"

"Yeah, we all have one. Mine is right here," he said, placing his hand on his left pectoral. Just as he answered, his Ghost popped out between the two, flying ahead and inspecting the Ketch.

"I've never been inside one of these before," it said, looking back at Erek and Petra, "Well except the one on Venus during that scouting mission."

"Is this your Ghost?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered flatly.

"What's it's name?" She laughed slightly as it returned and flew around her.

"Eren."

She stopped laughing.

After a few seconds, she asked softly, "How is she?"

He didn't answer.

She turned around and asked again, thinking he hadn't heard her perfectly.

"Erek…did something happen?" She asked softly, usually hard eyes becoming soft and pleading.

"…Did you hear about Dredgen Yor?"

"The rogue Guardian. Yes, what about-" she stopped right there. They had both stopped outside the door of the control room. He refused to look at her.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way," he finally said.

"It's fine," the slight waver in her voice said otherwise, "As silly as it may seem, I held out hope I'd see her again. It never occurred to me…"

Her hand was about to wave the door open but he stopped her, "I'll be heading back to my room now. It was nice talking to you again," he turned and slowly started to walk away.

"Of course. Same to you."

He stopped and turned slightly, "My leader will give you this information later but I'll tell you now. One of the "Dark Guardians" I'm sure my brother has informed you about is Dredgen Yor."

Her face hardened immediately, "Is that so?" She said venomously, "If that's the case, we better get to work. I'd love for the chance to get my hands on him."

"You and me both," and without another word, he turned and walked away.

She watched him go before adjusting herself, pushing down the grief and anger that begged for release and striding into the control room.

* * *

 _I love fillers_

 _Writing them, not watching or reading. I like making you read them though._


	12. The Ishtar Collective

_Sorry for the wait. My brother's graduating and when I'm not studying, I'm cleaning. Things should be back on track by next week_

* * *

 _The Ishtar Collective_

* * *

"So she's finally giving us jobs? It's been like three days…at least I think it has," Crona said, trailing slightly behind the others.

"You've been counting?" Aro asked.

"Trying. Hard to tell without the Sun,"

Aro chuckled slightly and resigned to the sort of comfortable silence. The change had been difficult but they were all slowly getting used to living on the Reef. Erek and Daniel had started talking again. Kayla seemed to be talking less, always deep in thought; as if she was wrestling with something. Crona hadn't changed much but Aro could hear her talking to her brother or sister in law almost every night, which was much more than usual.

Asura hadn't changed. Still barely talking to anyone. Especially him and Crona. Aro couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was in constant conversation with Wrath(A). And if so, what could they have been talking about?

His usual runaway train of thoughts came to an abrupt halt when they stopped outside the Queen's personal meeting room. Aro could hear Erek sigh as the door opened.

"I bid you welcome, Will of Light." Queen Mara said with a slight nod of her head. Her eyes flicked almost imperceptibly in Erek's direction but returned to the group as a whole.

Prince Uldren made no effort to hide his disdain, glaring straight at Erek from the back of the room. Petra stood behind the Queen and Variks stood off to the side, the signature Fallen clicking putting Aro instinctively on edge. This was the first time since he was resurrected in the Cosmodrome that the sound did not signify danger.

"Two points before we begin," Uldren pushed off the back wall, "One, what happened between me, the Queen…and our brother has no effect on our efforts or relationship. That is personal business and will be settled as such."

"That's good to hear," Aro replied. Behind him, Erek crossed his arms.

"And two, we know everything about the Heralds."

"You…you do?" Aro asked, completely taken aback.

"The Nine. They keep us…well informed." The Queen said, looking between each of them and taking in their reactions, "We know all that you know."

"So you wouldn't happen to know who Envy and Pride are?" Crona's voice rang out from behind him.

"No, we don't." Uldren answered, "What we do know is their ultimate goal…Arochukwu, is it?"

Aro wondered if they could hear his heart pounding, "Yes, sir?"

"It's you. You're their goal. Their "Gate" through which the Darkness will attempt to come through. Are we wrong?"

"N…no. You're not."

"Then I have a question…" Variks spoke up for the first time.

"Yes?"

"Their goal requires you… _alive_. Why shouldn't we…disrupt their goals?" The House Judgement Fallen croaked.

Aro was sure they could hear his heart now, "I am connected to them in a way I don't understand," he started, hating the way his voice wavered slightly, "I've seen them in nightmares before I ever met any one of them. Their faces were revealed to me as I discovered who they were before."

"What he's trying to say," Erek moved forward, "Is that they can tell when he is in danger as well. You weren't really considering killing him were you, Uldren?"

The Prince kept silent.

"Plans and schemes nearly four hundred years in the making and you think it'd be that simple to just cut it off?" Erek asked, almost bitterly amused, "They'd attack. The Reef wouldn't last an Earth year. The best way to handle this is to take them out, one by one."

"And when has that _ever_ happened?" Uldren shot back.

"That is enough," the Queen silenced any further arguing, "It was just a hypothetical, Arochukwu. You are safe here. The Heralds and your large friend here can calm down."

Aro turned slightly to see the red slowly leaving Daniel's face.

"So, now that that's out of the way, we have assignments for you," Petra stepped forward, hoping to quickly change the topic. On the monitor, two images appeared. Earth's Moon and Venus.

"Aro, Asura and Crona, in a few days time, you will be heading to the Moon. Specifically, a certain chamber in the Hellmouth,"

" _Not again,"_ Kain grumbled in Aro's head.

"Our mission?" he asked.

"After your "Great Disaster", I've had the Crows monitoring the Moon for Crota's energy, in the event the god-prince should return," Uldren explained, "One of my Crows has recently detected sign of the Swarm Princes, creators of the Blades of Crota."

"They're moving again?"

"Yes, which means there's a chance Crota is too," Petra answered. As if commanded, the holographic image of the Moon zoomed in on a spot in the Hellmouth region. They all recognized it. It was the way they took to enter the Summoning Pits and kill Gluttony. Aro had made a distinct effort to avoid the place. He should've known it wouldn't last.

"What do you want us to do?" Aro asked.

"Find the Sword, destroy it and bring our Cryptarch, Master Ives, a shattered fragment as proof," Petra said, "It will be studied here and our information will be shared with Master Rahool on Earth."

"Consider it done."

The image of Earth's Moon disappeared, leaving only Venus behind, "We've found some information that might benefit us both," Petra said, "Here, on Campus Nine of the Ishtar Sink."

Kayla's head rose up.

"What's so special about it?" Erek asked, crossing his arms.

"The Ishtar Collective was connected to one of the greatest libraries of information of the Golden Age," Petra explained, "We don't exactly want the Archives. It's sealed tight and none of our agents have been able to get it,"

"You think a Ghost can get the doors open?" Kayla asked, voice just barely above a whisper.

"A Ghost tried and succeeded but even then, could not access the information in the central database. It's locked down tight. The Ishtar Collective might hold the key to getting in. Kayla-7, Daniel Suros and…" Petra's eyes flicked towards the Queen, "Erek Sov, that is your mission."

"When do we leave?" Daniel asked.

"Your ships are being prepared now," The Queen spoke up for the first time in a while, "Get to the Collective, pull what information you can out and kill whatever gets in your way."

* * *

"Damn it, where is he?" Kayla muttered, quickly walking away from the room Daniel and Aro shared. She had been trying to figure out a way to tell him and Erek about her episode with Rasputin. She had waited too long.

She made it to the bridge of the Vestian Outpost. To her relief, Daniel and Aro were talking with Petra. As she jogged closer, Petra left and with one final goodbye, so did Aro.

"Daniel! Daniel, can we talk?"

He frowned at the urgency in her voice, "Get to your ship. We can talk once we're off."

"I...alright," Kayla said.

"Let's head out. Erek's in his ship and waiting for us at the Reef's border," He told her as they started walking.

"Already? Is there a problem?"

"Yeah. People are starting to recognize him."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Daniel sighed, sticking an Auto Rifle to his back, "He regrets cutting his hair so close to the trip. Come on." With that, he disappeared, his ship starting up soon after.

Kayla was soon in her own ship. Her Ghost started up the engine and after allowing Daniel to take point, they were away. As Daniel had said, Erek was waiting for them, ship floating idly away from the Reef.

"Good, you're finally here. Can we leave? I'm sick of this place already." Erek's voice buzzed over the intercom.

"Aren't you supposed to be trying to reconcile with them? Or at least be civil." Daniel asked.

"Probably. I don't really know anymore," the Awoken man seethed, "Seeing them again reminded me of every reason I left.

"Still. You should try," Daniel said.

Erek simply groaned.

"Set a course for the Ishtar Sink," Daniel ordered as the trio of ships entered warp speed.

"Now, Kayla. What did you want to tell me?"

"I received a…rather loud transmission from Rasputin some time ago," she finally admitted.

"What?!" Erek almost yelled.

"Have you told anyone?" Daniel demanded, "Ikora? Aro? Aashir?"

"No…no, I haven't."

He was silent for a while, "Then why are you telling me?"

Kayla sighed and said, "Sixx, play the recording."

The Ghost did as was told. No one spoke until the playback was finished.

"Kayla. You said this was from Rasputin…this is your voice," Erek said quietly.

"He…played it through me."

"He took control of you?!" Erek yelled.

"It didn't feel like that," Kayla explained quickly, "Just like…he was influencing me. Lately, my mind has been becoming stronger. I can see the inner workings of machines and technology and I've become more connected to Rasputin than before. He's pushing me to become more and more of the Warmind I was before."

"But why? And at what cost?"

She had no answer for that.

Daniel hadn't spoken the entire time, a worrying sign, "Daniel? Is everything alright?"

He was silent for about a minute before he said lowly, "Sixx, play the last part again. Dvalin Forge 2C."

" _DVALIN FORGE 2C COMMANDS SENT TO ISHTAR COLLECTIVE CAMPUS NINE AND OPERANT, ADRIAN SUROS."_

"Again," Daniel commanded.

" _DVALIN FORGE 2C COMMANDS SENT TO ISHTAR COLLECTIVE CAMPUS NINE AND OPERANT, ADRIAN SUROS."_

"He sent this to my dad…Kayla, why did you keep this from me?"

"There was never a good time," she said meekly.

"Is there ever?" they heard Erek mumble.

Daniel let out a frustrated sigh and said, "When we touch down, we make straight for Campus Nine. After all this damn years, I'm _going_ to get answers."

* * *

The familiar heat and humidity of Venus could be felt even through the armor. Daniel had no plans to to take in the sights.

"Caesar, where to?" He demanded.

His Sparrow appeared in front of him, followed by both Erek's and Kayla's. Without a word to anyone, he floored the vehicle, taking off in the direction his Ghost had indicated. Kayla and Erek rushed to keep up.

Daniel did not slow down the entire way, even when a group of Fallen were encountered in the Shattered Coast. He ran through a silver colored Shank belong to the House of Winter that dominated Venus. The other Fallen Dregs and Vandals had managed to jump out of the way.

Daniel didn't seem to care. Or even notice. It was never a good thing when he under-reacted to news.

The trip to Campus Nine was rather short and besides encountering fighting groups of Fallen and Vex, it was rather uneventful.

Sparrows were abandoned at the opening of the Campus due to the tight fit. Daniel leapt off and continued to stomp inside, "Caesar, anything ahead?" he asked.

"Couple of Fallen. Nothing more."

"Daniel," Kayla called, "Shouldn't we plan before we rush-"

"I don't want to hear it," he growled. He moved closer to where the Fallen Winters were, leaving her stunned.

Grenade in hand, Daniel hopped over the ledge and threw it into the biggest crowd of Fallen he could see. Those who saw or heard the Guardian leapt out of the way or braced for the explosion. Others weren't so lucky.

Daniel moved in closer, gun blazing loudly and with Kayla and Erek taking down anything that he might have missed. The Fallen were little match.

Daniel stomped into the control room, punching and disintegrating a Dreg before it could take a swipe at him.

Erek leapt up from the swampy ground floor back onto the platform, "We're clear."

"I'll…see what we can find," Kayla said meekly, moving to what she figured was the main computer. Daniel walked outside, leaning against the wall.

The silence was almost unbearable but Kayla knew better than to talk to him when he got like this. She was almost relieved when she felt something moving in. Something dark.

"We've got Vex incoming!" Erek called out.

"Keep working, Kayla!" Daniel commanded once they felt the heavy machines hit the ground, "Erek, take the left. No one gets inside."

" _How did they know we were coming?"_ Kayla asked her Ghost as she saw one of the bright red eyes turn in her direction. The Vex Goblin turned itself in her direction right before it exploded in a shower of white fluid. Daniel landed on the dead metal husk, reloading the Auto. He was suddenly knocked sideways by a red flash of light coming from the far side of Campus Nine.

"Hobgoblins and Minotaurs coming in," Sixx warned.

"Damn it, they need help," Kayla ran out from the control room, pulling out her holstered Hand Cannon. She shot one of the Goblins flanking Erek through the chest and glided towards the back of the Campus where Daniel was already taking on the Vex reinforcements.

"I told you to stay behind!" Daniel yelled, avoiding a strike from one of the Minotaurs.

"And do what?!" Kayla dodged a shot from a Hobgoblin before shooting it back. The machine immediately dropped to one knee, bringing up a fiery red stasis shield. Kayla took the time to reload, "Look, I understand you're angry-"

"You, Erek, that bastard Greed! Why does everyone feel the need keep things from me?!"

"How do you just tell someone that I have information that may tell us more about your father? How was I supposed to break the news?" Kayla shot off the head of another Hobgoblin before force-striking it to pieces.

"You could have just told me!"

"And trusted you not to lose your mind?"

Daniel shot down a Minotaur and didn't answer.

"Kayla?" she heard her Ghost call.

"What is it?"

"You really need to get over here."

"...I'm coming," she took one more look at Daniel before heading back to the control center.

She holstered the Hand Cannon, "What is it?"

"I reached a firewall. A powerful on," her Ghost turned to her.

"You can't break it?"

"No but maybe you can."

"Why would you think I could?" Kayla asked, moving closer to the humming computers.

Sixx activated any speaker systems it could find. Throughout the entire Campus, a deep resounding voice echoed. It was speaking Russian.

"This is it," Kayla breathed, "The message he sent! I think I can get us through."

"I've tried every password I can think of, Kayla," Sixx said.

Kayla didn't respond. She brought her hand up and looked at her open palm, enthralled in the sounds of Rasputin talking. Almost as if it were directing her to act. Her eyes returned to the controls, wiping off the dust until it revealed what she was looking for. A piece of black glass.

She took one more look at her hand and without a word, placed it gingerly against the glass.

Kayla yelled out in pain and fell backwards. She didn't move; staring up at the ceiling until she heard footsteps running towards her.

Erek dropped to his knees, "Kayla, are you alright?! Kayla!"

She shifted her head slightly to look up at him. When she felt herself regaining full control of her body, she grabbed onto his shoulder and propped herself up, "I-I'm fine."

"What happened?" Daniel asked, worry in his rough tone.

She was about to answer that she had no idea either when she saw them. Images and numbers swirling around in her head. None of them making sense.

"Sixx?!" she stood up on her own, "Can you get in now?"

The Ghost continued its work, "No. I can't. And I don't think I need to. All the information we need," Sixx turned to her, "has been copied into you."

"I...no, that's not…" but as she began to regain her focus, the random storm of numbers and pictures began to make sense.

"Kayla," Erek moved closer, voice dropping low, "What do you see?"

"I'm seeing...a phrase. "Three keys….to time." Three keys to time." The more she said it, the clear it became in her head. But the less it made any sense.

"Anything else?" Daniel asked, desperation in his voice, "Kayla, is there anything else?!"

"Your...father's first name," she groaned, "It's still not making sense."

Erek and Daniel looked at each other. "What about a way into the Archives?" Erek asked.

"No," she straightened up, "Because what's keep it locked isn't here anymore. It's Rasputin. He's keeping it locked. Only one person has gotten in since the Golden Age," she looked at Daniel.

Daniel was silent when he turned his back to them, deep in thought. He sighed before saying, "We're done here. Back to the Reef."

* * *

 _Not as dramatique as I was hoping. Maybe the next chapter ;)_

 _ **Spartan137** Square up (_ _ง_ _'̀-'́)_ _ง_


	13. Greed the Defender Part I

_Greed the Defender Part I_

* * *

Vell woke up with a loud, almost vulgar groan. He twisted his neck to look out the window and at the clock. Still early morning; he could afford a few more hours before the day began and he did what he had planned. Which was nothing hopefully.

Just as he felt himself falling asleep again, Vell coughed loudly as a heavy weight suddenly dropped onto his bare stomach, knocking the wind clear out of him.

The first reaction that came to mind was to knock out the teeth of whoever was dumb enough. The thought quickly disappeared when he saw the wide grin with a few teeth already missing.

"Hey. Hey…guess what today is?" His eldest nephew asked with a massive smile.

"Nooo," Vell groaned, eyes rolling into his head.

"C'mon! Guess!"

"No."

"C'mon."

"No."

"Uncle!" Tarlowe whined.

"Let me sleep boy!" Vell yelled, trying and failing to sound threatening.

"When you guess!"

Vell sighed and fell back down to the bed, "Is it my birthday?"

Tarlowe was giggling even louder now, "Dad, he's awake!"

"No! No, I'm not! Adrian, did you put him up to this?!" Vell yelled, catching Tarlowe and carrying the squealing child under his arm. He lifted himself off the bed and walked out into the hallway. The house was quiet, which wasn't surprising, considering how early it was.

"Adrian?" Vell opened the door to his brother's office. Naturally, that's where he was; in front of the liquor cabinet. Adrian Suros flinched slightly at the sudden loud calling of his name, turning around and gave the same shit eating grin that Tarlowe always gave when he knew he was in trouble. Tall and lean with glasses that he was constantly having to push back up, Adrian greeted him a meek wave and said, "Thank you, Tarlowe. You can go now."

"One second…" Adrian said, speaking to Vell this time, turning back to the cabinet and dragging his finger over the bottles. He stopped at his favorite, grabbing it by the neck along with two glasses, " _Happy Birthday to yooou…"_

"No. Stop," Vell groaned. Taking advantage of the distraction, Tarlowe twisted out of Vell's arm and took off down the hallway.

" _Happy Birthday tooo yooou…"_ Adrian continued, voice rising in volume.

"Adrian, I fuckin' swear…"

" _HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR VEEEELLLLL…"_ he started pouring the drinks, handing one to Vell, " _HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOO YOOOOUUU!"_

"…Are you finished?"

Adrian took a sip and a long pause, "… _How old are you n-"_

"Adrian!"

The man started laughing, "Alright, alright. Encore will be tonight at dinner."

Despite his annoyance, Vell laughed along with, "Stop sending your kids to do your dirty work."

Adrian seemed to consider it before giving a short, "No."

"Coward."

"Yeah, I know," Adrian agreed, walking past him to his messy desk.

"Where's Joanne?" Vell asked, sitting down across from him.

"Probably still sleeping. Late night. When she wakes up, we'll both start making your birthday dinner."

Vell sighed, "You guys don't have to do this."

"I don't _have_ to do anything. Remember?" Adrian said, picking up one of the data pads, "You know," Adrian said after a few seconds, "I'm still keeping that position at the foundry open for you."

" _This again?"_ Vell groaned internally, "It's alright, I can find something for myself."

"Something that pays well? C'mon, you're twenty one now. You should start building up experience," Adrian said, putting down his drink and scrolling through the tablet, "A representative to the Tower? Get to be around Guardians and interact with them pretty much all day. Don't tell me that doesn't sound great?"

"Adrian, I can handle myself," he said sternly, "How are you even keeping that position open anyway? You don't even work there."

"I still own the damn place. By extension, so do you. Anyway, you might even find yourself a nice Guardian guy. You like 'em nerdy right? Warlock? Or too weird for you?"

"Adrian!" Vell was annoyed, bordering on angry.

Adrian held his hands up, "Alright, alright. Just worrying about you. With Dad and Mom gone since last year, someone has to do it."

"I know."

"Still remember what Dad said when he first brought you home. " _This is your new little brother_ ," Adrian said in a gruff imitation of their father, " _Vell is apart of this family now and I'm trusting you to help take care of him. Can you do that?_ " He then switched up to a high pitched, childlike voice, " _Of course, Father. He's my brother. I'd never let anything happen to him."_

Vell sighed, "I understand."

"Good to hear," Adrian picked up the drink again, "But forget all that. It's your birthday. And Joanne said no arguing. Twenty four hours."

"Awww," Vell whined in mock disappointment.

"That's what I said. But her word is law. You know how it is."

Vell started laughing and waved his hand in a whipping motion, adding the sound for emphasis. He laughed harder at Adrian's frown.

"You're making this not arguing thing difficult, Vell," he grumbled, going around the desk. He motioned for Vell to stand, who did reluctantly.

"Why are you taller than me?" Adrian grumbled. Vell simply grinned.

"Whatever. Anyway I woke you up early, just to tell you that you're doing fine. And despite our… _uncountable_ amount of differences, I'm proud of you. Mom and Dad…would be proud of you too. They always have been. And I'm sure they always will be. So will I. No matter what comes next."

Vell felt a pang in his chest and tears threatening to rise to the surface. Adrian sighed and grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into his shoulder. Vell put the drink down and wrapped both arms around him, squeezing tightly.

"Happy birthday, kid," Adrian said softly.

"I'm not a kid," Vell mumbled into his shoulder.

"Go look at that patchy beard in the mirror and say that again."

Vell let go and downed the rest of his drink, "I'm going back to bed. Asshole."

Adrian just laughed and finished his own.

* * *

Vell dropped onto the couch in the family room with a satisfied sigh.

"I trust you liked it?" Joanne walked into the room, tying her dark hair back into a ponytail and sitting down next to Adrian, who was reading to Daniel, their youngest child. Tarlowe sat at his feet, playing with his toys.

"Of course I did. I trust you did most of the work?" Vell said stretching out.

"Have you tasted this man's cooking?" Joanne started laughing.

"Hey, I helped!" Adrian paused in his reading to defend himself. Daniel looked up from the book too, smiling brightly when Vell waved at him.

"Of course you did," she said sweetly, rubbing his hair for emphasis.

They resigned to the peaceful quiet after. Vell had to admit to himself; his life has never been this peaceful. Being abandoned to the streets by his birth parents at such a young age, he never once imagined having a family.

Now he's surrounded by one. And with every new addition, the fear of dying alone he acquired as a young boy disappears little by little. He would never be hungry again. He would never be alone again. He was safe here. He was safe.

"Umm, mommy? Daddy? There's someone here," he heard Christine say, snapping him out of his food induced daze. He propped himself up on his elbows to see her standing at the entrance, staring upwards.

"I told you about going up to the door Christine," Joanne said, walking towards her.

"She didn't let me in. I let myself in," an echoing voice said.

Joanne got to her daughter and froze, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

"Joanne? Joanne, is everything alright?" Adrian quickly stood and jogged to the door, handing Daniel off to Vell. Vell softly placed Daniel on the couch, staying close to him and Tarlowe in case there was trouble.

"I'm looking for a man named Vell Tarlowe," the voice rang out again, "I heard he lived here."

Adrian's eyes flicked towards him and beckoned him over with a nod of his head.

Vell gave one last look back at the boys before slowly walking over.

"Yes, may I-" Vell froze mid sentence when he saw who had just let themselves into his home and was asking for him.

In front of everyone and floating above Christine's head, was a Ghost.

Vell let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "You're a Guardian's Ghost," he said, just above a whisper.

The tiny flying machine floated closer to him; it's bright eye looking him all over. "Yes. I'm yours. After all this time, it's nice to finally meet you, Vell."

* * *

Vell stood in awe of the Tower. From far away, it looked big but up close? It was absolutely massive. Almost impossibly so.

"Vell, let's keep moving," Joanne said, pushing him along. Traffic in and out of the front doors was starting to back up behind his large frame. She had decided to come along with him to help him around. She had been here multiple times before.

"Um, alright…" Vell readjusted the backpack of papers he might need and took one unsure step after the other into the even busier interior of the Tower. His Ghost, who he had named Sera, directed them to the nearest elevator. Unlike what he had heard about Ghosts and Guardians, Sera was rather chatty, mostly keeping it inside his head. An ability he was still getting used to.

They rode the elevator to the top floor in almost complete silence. When they finally reached the top, the doors opened and the top floor view of the Tower came into full view.

"Woah…" was all Vell could manage as he walked out of the elevator.

Guardians filled the Tower Plaza, discussing weapons, armor and the many adventures they had been on all over the world and beyond. He had never seen so many of them in one place before. Just a few here and there walking around the City.

The most eye catching sight was the Traveler itself. This was the first time he had seen it in its entirety after living directly under it for so long.

And he thought the Tower was impossibly big.

Vell slowly walked to the edge of the Tower and leant against the railing, staring at the Traveler itself and the City below.

"Vell?" Joanne called.

"Joanne, do you see this?!" Vell exclaimed, with a smile on his face like a giddy child.

She giggled, "I see it. Amazing, isn't it?"

"An understatement. Just…wow."

She laughed again, "C'mon, let's keep moving."

Sera led them to one of the kiosks in the middle of Plaza. The frame there was mumbling to itself about a floating package for someone named Ikora. It stopped when he got closer.

"Good morning. Name please?" The frame buzzed, looking up.

"Uh-um, Vell? Vell Tarlowe?"

"Ah. Vell Tarlowe. Welcome to the Tower, young Guardian."

"Mmm, "young Guardian". I like that," Joanne said.

Vell laughed uneasily, "It'll take some getting used to."

"Just take it slow. You'll be fine."

The frame politely waited for them to finish before speaking again, "Your Ghost holds your identification, credentials and everything you need done today. Welcome again."

"You seem nervous, Vell…" Joanne said as they left the kiosk.

"Just…overwhelmed. I wasn't expecting all of this when Tarlowe woke me up yesterday."

"I understand."

"If it was you, how would you react?"

"Oh, I'd lose my mind. Probably start throwing a tantrum, the whole nine yards," she answered in such a serious tone that Vell couldn't help but laugh.

She did too, "Come on. Let's go," she said, "Do you or your Ghost know where to next?"

Sera appeared over Vell's shoulder, "I haven't been on Earth in nearly twenty years now. Things have moved around."

"We can ask someone," Joanne said. She started walking faster and caught up to a pair of Awoken who had just walked past them. A woman with pitch black hair and a man with white hair tied back. Guardians, judging by the uniforms; a Hunter and a Warlock. Joanne tapped the man's shoulder and he stopped. The woman walked ahead for a few more seconds before she noticed she was alone and stopping.

"This is my brother in law, Vell Tarlowe," he heard Joanne say, introducing him. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him forward, despite the slight resistance on his end, "He's new."

Any nervousness he thought he had gotten rid of was back now. The Warlock had a lean frame and was shorter than him, only coming up to his shoulders. Light blue skin, a strong jaw lightly covered in white stubble and a few strands of feathery hair that had managed to avoid being tied back and were drifting in front of a set of piercing orange eyes.

Vell was only slightly aware that he was staring at the man, "Um, w-wo-would you happen to know where I can find where to get my uniform?" he asked, silently admonishing himself for stuttering.

The man's eyes looked him up and down before returning to his face, "Just down the elevator and take a right. At least I think so," the Warlock laughed, showing off a brilliant smile, "I'm kind of new here too."

"Oh, you just turned twenty one?" The talking was coming easier.

The Guardian looked confused, "Wha-oh no. I and my impatient friend, Eris Morn, over there were both just resurrected." He pointed over at her. She waved and smiled sweetly at Vell and Joanne, her face immediately became annoyed when she looked back at her companion. He raised his hand and mouthed, " _Hold on."_

He turned to Vell, "You said you just turned 21?"

"Yeah. Yesterday."

"Well Happy birthday. And welcome to the Tower, Vell."

"Uh, um, thank you. I didn't catch your name," Vell said.

The Awoken man smiled, "Toland. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I'll see you around," Vell sputtered.

The smile on his face got bigger, "I hope so."

Eris called out his name and with a quick nod to Vell, Toland jogged after her.

Vell watched him go until small a hand tapped his shoulder, "Huh? What?"

Joanne motioned for him to bend down. When he did, she propped herself up on her toes and whispered in his ear, " _Close your mouth, sweetie."_

His eyes went wide and his mouth audibly clamped shut as he felt the blush creeping up his neck. She nearly fell over in laughter. He readjusted the bag again and looked back at where he last saw Toland and Eris. They were both still there, talking with a mysterious person in white robes and a white mask.

Before Vell could turn again, Toland's eyes flicked back in his direction. Their eyes connected and he gave a small smile and a wave.

Vell waved back, a beaming smile on his face.

* * *

 _Adorable right?_ (◕ᴗ◕✿)

 _HEH…AHAHA…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_ (ʘ‿ʘ✿)

 _*starts coughing*_


	14. Three Keys to Time

_Three Keys to Time_

* * *

"Caesar? Call A.J and Maya. Tell them I want to speak to Tarlowe," Daniel said, walking into his room and moving towards the computer screen.

"You don't want to use the computer?"

"I want to keep this off any of the Reef's records."

Aro frowned and lifted his head up from Toland's journal," Uh? Hi?!"

Daniel immediately popped back up and trudged over to the bed, and kissed Aro on the head without a word. Aro made sure to close the journal first.

Daniel returned to the table where his Ghost still was, "Maya?" He asked.

A yawn, " _Yeah, yeah, I'm here. What is it?"_

"I need to speak to Tarlowe. Hurry."

" _Um…alright?_ " Soon after, sounds of her leaving her bed and her room could be heard. A knock on a door followed by an answer in Tarlowe's voice.

" _Daniel wants to speak to you,"_ she told Tarlowe _._

Silence. Followed by a, " _Really?"_

" _I know right? It's weird!"_

"For the love of…," Daniel growled, "Tarlowe!"

" _Ah! Why are you yelling?!"_

"Because you're wasting my time!"

" _I could just hang up…"_

Daniel groaned, "A while ago, Kayla received a transmission from Rasputin," he started.

"Wait, what?" Aro exclaimed, closing the book and standing up.

"Rasputin told her about a two part transmission he sent. One part to the Ishtar Collective and one part…to Dad."

Silence for nearly a minute, then Tarlowe said, " _Are you serious?_ "

"Kayla somehow downloaded the information in the Collective. She keeps seeing a phrase. "Three Keys to Time"."

" _Three…keys. You said keys?!"_

"Yes…" Daniel answered, frowning, "Is there something wrong?"

Tarlowe was silent for another minute. Then a sigh, " _Do you have your watch?"_

Daniel turned to look back at the bed, where the gold watch that his mother gave to his father laid on the small table, "Is this really the time for that?"

" _Do you have it Daniel?"_

"Yes. What about it?"

" _I've…I've found some files. On dad's system. Private."_

"What are you getting at, Tarlowe?" Daniel turned slightly when he felt Aro's hand on his shoulder.

" _The file is titled the same thing you just said."_

"Really?" Daniel breathed, looking back at Aro, "What's in it?"

" _From what I've been able to get ahold of, the things Dad left us maybe what it's referring to."_

"The watch?" Daniel asked. He started stand to retrieve it but Aro called it to them first, causing the watch to lift off the desk and dart into Aro's hand.

" _And Dad's ring, Mom's necklace and her bracelet."_

"Are you sure about all of this Tarlowe?" Aro asked, leaning closer.

" _That's just what I feel. No, I'm not sure."_

"What about Mom's ring?" Daniel asked.

" _I'm still not sure what it does. Or even where it is. What do you plan to do with this info, Daniel?"_

Daniel was silent for sometime and then answered, "I need to get into the Archives, Tarlowe. I need to know what was so important, Dad had to die for it. That he had to leave us behind."

"How would you get in?" Aro asked, "Not even a Ghost can access the information.

"Our father did."

" _The construction of these "keys" were completed before he left for Venus. If it was the Warmind giving him orders, one of them might be able to access the Archives. Which one it is, I have no clue,"_ Tarlowe said.

"We'll find out. I'll arrange for a quick leave back to Earth to pick up the other three. Thank you."

Tarlowe sighed, " _I know how you must be feeling Daniel. But don't get yourself killed for this. Not like he did. Good night."_ And with that, the transmission cut.

* * *

"That's over with. We're done here A.J, thank you," Tarlowe said to the pink shelled Ghost. He rolled himself back in his wheelchair, heading over to one of the bookshelves, "And tell Maya to go to bed."

The Ghost turned around and yelled, "Maya, go to bed!"

"What did I tell you about eavesdropping, Maya?!" Tarlowe yelled. The sounds of feet running away echoed through the hall. The Ghost took one last look at him before floating out.

"Hey, Maya, was that Daniel who called?" Christine asked, peeking her head out the door just before Maya could pass her room.

"Yeah. I couldn't hear much so I'm not sure what it was about. Something about keys?"

Christine frowned.

"I told you I didn't hear much!"

"Go to bed,"'Christine ordered sleepily.

"Okay but one more thing…"

A groan, "What?"

"May has been teaching me some new things. Like how to sense the Light of other Guardians," Maya said with the straightest face she could manage.

Confusion crossed Christine's face,"…And?"

The neutral face gave way to a large smirk and called loudly, "Hi Shino!"

Silence, followed by the sound of Shino trying not to laugh coming from Christine's bedroom.

Maya was gone before Christine could turn around to look at her again. Shino stopped trying not to laugh.

She sighed and let the door close softly, carefully making her way back to the bed, "Shino, I told you to find some pants. You're lucky she didn't walk in here."

Shino was sprawled out on the bed, sheets riding low on his waist. "I can't feel my legs sweetheart," he gurgled.

She smacked his shoulder. "Alright, alright!" He rolled out of the bed and went to her closet, "So what did Daniel say?" He asked, digging through the clothes he kept in her room.

"Not sure. Maya didn't hear much," Christine answered, sitting against the headboard.

Shino walked back wearing a pair of shorts and dropped into her bed again, bouncing slightly. For a while, the both of them sat together without speaking. There never any uncomfortable silences around each other; they were long past that stage in their relationship.

After a few more minutes, Shino sighed and said, "Tarlowe seems to have adjusted to the wheelchair."

"Yeah. That's what it looks like from the outside looking in. I'm not so sure," Christine replied, leaning back against Shino.

His fingers automatically started to run through her pitch black hair, "What do you mean?" he asked softly.

"He still won't let anyone do anything for him. That's the main problem. He's going to hurt himself."

"He still hasn't accepted this?"

"No he hasn't," she replied sadly, "Not sure he ever will."

Another few minutes of silence before she asked, "You'll be leaving for a job soon?"

"Hmm? Yeah. Aashir has yet to give us the details. All I know is that it's important."

"Why is he withholding details from you guys?"

"'Cause he's an asshole!" He exclaimed, making her smile, "I truly don't know how Josef and Aveline put up with it!"

"Funny," she chuckled, "I used to think the same about you and how your team puts up with you."

"It's not the same. I'm not a dick to people."

"He's older. And a lot more hardened. And as much as he tries to hide it, he's lost a lot. He cared for Marie as much as you did."

Shino just grunted, "That's our only similarity. This clan has little in common. It's just a motley crew of practically kids thrown together."

"At least try to meet him halfway. Can you promise me that?"

Shino looked down at her and sighed, "I'll try."

"Good. What else do you know about your job?"

"He's split three jobs between the three fireteams still on Earth. His team and Katrina's are going to Venus. We'll be going to the Moon."

"The Moon?" She asked looking up at him. He silently berated himself for telling her that.

"Christine, there has been no activity from the Heralds in the last two years," he started to explain.

"Nothing that you know about, Shino!" she argued back, lifting herself up, "You didn't even know about them until you Ve…until Greed almost killed you."

He sighed, "You can call him Vell when it's just us. I won't explode like Daniel does."

"If you knew Mira's original name or May's, would you continue to call them by it?" She asked curtly.

"I…no. I guess not."

"Vell died on the Moon and was brought back as Greed. That's who he is now," she got out of the bed and walked to her bathroom, turning on the light.

She never walked in, just tiredly leaned against the doorframe. "The funny thing is," she started, "For Daniel and even Tarlowe, he was dead to them when he came back from Venus without our Dad."

Shino lifted himself out of the bed and slowly walked over to her.

"Not me. I still had faith he'd come back to us. I mean why wouldn't he? This was Vell. He grew up on the streets until my grandparents took him in. And now that I look back on his behavior, he's been plagued with abandonment issues ever since. So everyday, in the back of my mind, I hoped. That every knock at the door might be him. That every call might be him."

He was directly behind her now, raising his arm above her head and leaning against the doorframe with her.

"But I was wrong. He left us behind. Like Dad did. Like Toland did," she was clutching her necklace. The one that originally belonged to her mother, given to her to "keep safe", "Now…now he really is dead to me."

"You need to sleep," Shino said softly, "Should I leave?"

She shook her head and turned towards him, "I can't ask you not to die for all of this. I can't make you promise to come back. But promise me you will be careful."

Shino swallowed the lump in his throat, "Always," he answered softly.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"So you managed to drag him out?" Crona asked as soon as she spotted Aro and Asura walking into the lounge.

Aro grunted tiredly, dropping down next to her.

"It may have gotten a bit physical…"Asura started.

"You broke my finger!"

"Boys, boys…let's all calm down. We're supposed to enjoy today, remember?"

Both men sighed.

"That's the spirit," Crona passed a drink to Aro. She was content with just water, turning her attention to the patrons.

"So I assume we're banned from talking about work," Aro said.

"Yup."

"Can we talk about the guy eyeballing Crona from the other side of the room?" Asura asked. Aro almost spit out his drink. Crona groaned.

"Who? I gotta see this," Aro said, scooting closer.

"Average height, black hair, lavender skin with blue eyes that keep flicking away from his group to look this way."

"Nice shoulders…"Aro added in once he got a good look.

"You're taken." Asura said.

"Oh please, Daniel and I do this all the time. Except I tend to bring girls into the conversation as well. And then he steers it back towards guys."

"Nice."

"How did you notice him so quickly?" She groaned again.

"Hunters usually get killed if they don't notice these kinds of things. Why? Do you know him?"

"I may have seen him once or twice around the outpost." She admitted.

"Only once or twice?" Aro asked, leaning closer to her.

She pushed him away, "Okay so we've talked. His name is Corin."

Asura was laughing now too. Crona sank into her seat.

"What's the problem? He's not a bad looking guy." Aro said.

"I know," she sighed. She gave a frustrated growl, "Can we talk about something else?"

Aro and Asura shared a look, "Alright. How's everything on Earth?" Aro asked.

"Calm, I guess. Z told me that Shaxx showed up for dinner last night and brought Cayde and Ikora with him."

"Sounds like a party." Asura said.

"I'll never get over how familiar you are with them," Aro said, "Like to me, Ikora is Master. But you've known her since you were little."

"Which is probably why they feel so comfortable just showing up to my parents' house unannounced. And sticking around."

Aro gaped, "They're still there?!"

"Well, Shaxx is. Passed out on the couch apparently. He sleeps deeper than the dead."

"Why won't they move him?" Aro asked.

"Have you seen how big he is?" Crona asked back.

"He's huge," Asura commented.

"Massive."

"A monster."

"I heard he repaired the walls after Twilight Gap by hand."

"One time he took my own knife and stabbed someone with it," Asura said, "It was awesome."

"Yeah! He stabbed me!"

"And it was awesome!"

The fact that Aro found their back and forth bantering funny signaled that the alcohol must be getting to him, "So he's big. I've noticed. But you're saying absolutely no one can move him?"

"He's also got my six year old nephew asleep on his chest and no one would dare wake _him_ up so, yeah."

"I'm absolutely sure he did that on purpose. Smart man!" Asura started laughing hard enough to almost topple out of his seat. He would've too if Aro didn't catch him.

Soon, nearly two hours of pointless talking had passed. Aro honestly couldn't believe that it had been so long since they had been together like this. Just them; no jobs, no Heralds. At least not yet. He constantly had to remind himself to take his happiness where he could get it. No matter how fleeting or simple or "simple minded" it was.

Crona pushed away her glass, "Fuck it, I'm going for it."

Aro raised his glass to her. Asura grabbed Crona's empty cup and did the same.

She let out a few nervous breaths and popped up, striding towards the young Awoken soldier.

"I expect you to be ready to go by tomorrow," Aro said before she could get to far away.

She waved him away, never turning away from Corin.

Asura, beside himself with laughter, slipped out of his chair. Aro let him fall this time, laughing along with him when he hit the ground.

* * *

 _I haven't written happy Asura in a while now._

 _Just a bit of light heartedness because things are about to get real dark, real fast._

 _Christine and Shino gave me diabetes. And just imagine Cayde, Shaxx and Ikora with baby Z and Crona_ T_T


	15. Sword of Crota

_The Sword of Crota_

* * *

Aro twisted the gauntlet, hearing it click into place. Kain flew around him, looking over the armor. "Everything is functional. Been a little while since we were out in the field. You ready?" The Ghost ask, floating back up to his face.

Aro twisted his arms around, "It's a simple search and destroy mission. I'm not too worried," he said, starting to walk towards the door.

"What if…they come?"

Aro stopped in his tracks and he felt his heart sink slightly. They were always a present danger, even when he could not see them. If not a danger to him, then definitely to anyone he had come to care about.

Aro raised his hand and opened his palm and pushed a tiny bit of his Light to the surface. A small but strong flame flared to life, dancing in the center of his hand. It was so vibrant and energetic; Aro couldn't help but smile.

He looked at himself in the mirror next to the door, taking in the sight of eyes, bright orange with small wisps of fire darting out of them. An almost daily reminder that what happened two years ago would probably affect him for the rest of his life.

"The Heralds…were some of our best and brightest," he said, talking to both Kain and himself, "I'm sure whoever Envy and Pride are, they're no exception."

He willed the flame to grow, "But I've seen what I'm capable of. What we're capable of," he clenched his hand, snuffing out the flame, "Let them come. I'm not afraid of them anymore. We've killed one of them already."

With a determined air about him, Aro started to leave the room, only to pause and backtrack towards the mirror, "Kain? Why is my clan mark on my armor?" He asked, turning his back to the mirror, where the sun and corona mark was emblazoned on the right side.

"It's custom. All Guardians within clans do it."

"I didn't notice this on any of the others!"

"You probably didn't notice but it's there." Kain buzzed.

"Could've said something…"

"I apologize. Most people research tattoos before getting them," with that, the Ghost disappeared, with Aro unable to think of a rebuttal.

"Master Ives," Aro greeted the shaved head man with a slight bow.

He nodded in return, "You understand your mission?"

"Yes, we do."

"Good. Bring me a piece and any information me and my colleagues obtain will be shared with your order, Warlock. I look forward to our collaboration," Ives said, lifting the tablet in his hand up to his face.

"And the Tower's Crypto-Archeologists?" Aro asked.

Ives waved a dismissive hand, "What about them? Anything you need, you'll get from us. If your order wants to share with them, by all means."

The contempt in his voice was obvious so Aro decided to drop it, "We'll be back soon."

Ives nodded and left. Behind him, Crona and Asura were talking to Kayla and Erek. They turned as he got closer. "You all ready?"

Crona nodded. Asura shrugged.

"Alright. You all watch yourselves out the-where's Daniel?" Erek asked, looking around.

"I let him sleep in. He hasn't slept well for a while now."

Kayla sighed, "Still trying to find a way into the Archives, right?"

"It's all he talks about. Not that I blame him," Aro replied.

"Yeah, I know. Just watch him. He'll drive himself crazy over-Hey!" Kayla suddenly yelped in surprise when a tall man knocked into her.

The Awoken mumbled an apology without even turning around to look at her as he walked over to Crona.

"Is that…that's Corin right? From last night?" Asura asked.

"You've already forgotten him?" Aro almost started laughing.

"It's not like I'm the one who spent the night with him."

"Wait, what?" Erek and Kayla had already started walking away. Erek jogged back, "Who did what now?"

"Crona's the "who" but it's a bit rude to call Corin a "what", isn't it?" Aro said.

"You're lying…" Erek whispered.

"Are you sure?" Aro gestured towards them. Corin was running a finger through Crona's hair. Crona was…

"She's giggling! Like a little girl!" Erek let out a sharp bark of laughter that unfortunately caught Crona's and Corin's attention. Corin looked away slightly, a blush creeping up his neck. Crona glared at them, staring hard enough for her eyes to start glowing blue, which disappeared the instant Corin looked back at her.

Kayla grabbed Erek by the back of his shirt, "We're leaving. Good luck, you three." With that, Erek was roughly pulled away.

Aro and Asura slowly walked up behind them. Corin smiled and nodded at Aro. To Asura, he gave a curt nod and narrowed eyes but no smile. He was gone without another word.

"You guys are assholes," Crona growled.

"Your point?" Aro joked. Crona just groaned.

"We ready to go?" Asura suddenly asked, a bit gruffly.

"Uh…yeah. Head up." Aro frowned. Asura obliged immediately, "What's up with him?" he asked.

"Same thing as usual probably," Crona shrugged. She then sighed, "Used to hate his constant talking. Now? Now I miss it."

Aro chuckled, "Really?"

She smiled back, "Really. I'd probably killed have the old him back. C'mon."

* * *

"What additional info do we have on the Sword?" Aro asked as the trio of ships made for the Moon, "The best I've found in the Warlock archives was made by Eriana-3 during the attack on the Moon."

"Can we listen to it?" Crona asked.

"It doesn't really mention the Sword and…it's kind of dark. It's her torturing a Hive Wizard."

"I've been combing the Crypto-archeological records of both the Reef and the City and I found something," Asura's Ghost said over the ship comms. Spirit played an acquired recording of Master Rahool's voice, " _We lost our Moon to Crota. He wielded a sword so dark, it drained whatever Light it touched. Now, Crota sleeps, but the Sword does not. We believe the Sword is in a chamber guarded by the Swarm Princes. If we can locate it and get to it, we can ensure what happened before is never repeated._ "

"We're sure of the Sword's exact location?" Crona asked as she started preparing for drop off.

"As sure as can be." Spirit replied.

"It'll have to be enough," Aro said. As always before, the trio of jumpships dropped close to the ground and the Ghosts transmatted their Guardians to the lunar ground before jetting back up into orbit.

"The only way to destroy the sword is to kill its makers, the Swarm Princes. One of the four is said to guard a ritual site near the Hellmouth. We should challenge him first."

Aro immediately summoned his Sparrow. There was little to see here and the quicker they were finished, the less time there was for everything to go wrong; as it always did. He took off, with the others keeping to his tail. They moved past the destroyed lunar station in the Archer's Line. A group of Guardians were patrolling the area, Rank 2 by their armor and weapons. They waved as Aro's team flew past. Despite his apprehension, Aro waved back.

A short trek through a short narrow valley took them into the Hellmouth. An expansive wasteland and holder of bad memories for the entire clan.

"First one's close," Aro warned. He slowed to a stop and hopped off his vehicle, "Up ahead."

In the middle of a group Hive structures stood their target. All alone which struck Aro as strange. Hive were never alone.

"He's nothing impressive," Asura sniffed.

"Then let's make quick work of him," Aro commanded, "Crona, we'll take point. Asura, stick to the back!"

Crona and Aro charged the Knight, with Aro pulling ahead. The Prince roared at the challenge, already so sure of it victory. The monster brought itscleaver down in a massive arch towards the one of the two it noticed with less armor, just as Aro hoped it would.

As soon as the blade nearly made contact his head, Aro Blinked forward and reappeared behind the Hive Knight. The massive sword continued along its path and slammed into the ground, leaving the Prince defenseless against Crona's thunderous knee to the face. Its large head snapped back violently and its entire body rocked backwards.

Just a second after Crona attacked, Aro forced palmed the creature from the back, adding in a wave Solar Wind to push it farther forward. The Knight brought its sword down in order to stop its own fall. Crona rejoined Aro behind the Knight, Auto rifles ready.

The Hive Prince was up on its feet again quicker than expected. He raised its blade and began to charge them in a frenzied rage, running through the stream of bullets Aro and Crona were putting into it.

Aro's gun ran empty. Crona's did soon after.

The Knight raised its massive blade again…and something thin and blue slid right through its sword shoulder. The arm holding its weapon fell to the ground, crumbling away to dust.

The creature froze in its charge, eyes trained on its downed sword and missing arm almost dumbfounded. Asura took advantage of the Knight's distraction to jab his Arc Saber into the back of its leg, bringing it down to both its knees.

Aro fired a shotgun point blank into the Prince's face. The skull blew off backwards while body went rigid and crumbled into glowing dust.

"Hmm, you'd think they'd remember that there's usually three of us," Crona said, taking the moment's peace to reload.

"Oh well," Asura mumbled dismissively, "Where's the next one?"

"The main chamber of the Hellmouth. The one that led to the Summoning Pits where Tol…where Gluttony was held," Aro quickly corrected himself.

Asura's Arc Saber disappeared and he sheathed the knife, "Then what are we waiting for?" He asked, Sparrow appearing in front of him.

Aro opened his mouth to speak but Asura was gone before he could. Aro just shook his head and followed along.

The entrance to the chamber was empty as were the cavern connected to it that opened to the massive abyss that gave the Hellmouth its name. The lack of fighting for their lives just to enter a single chamber was putting Aro off. Something was very wrong.

"There's the Sword!…And…those are the Princes?" Kain asked more than said as they entered the chamber, as if it didn't believe what it was seeing.

But they all saw the same thing. The other three Swarm Princes, standing as still as statues in the back of the chamber, just out of the shadows. They didn't react when the Guardians appeared not as they got closer.

And hovering just off the ground at the center of the chamber, was the Sword of Crota. Aro could feel the Light of the Guardians killed by rolling off of it in sickening waves.

"What the hell is wrong with them?" Crona whispered as they slowly inched closer to the sword, guns at eye level.

" _I don't like this, Aro,"_ His Ghost warned him. Aro understood. Things always got mysteriously weird for them. Right before everything went wrong.

Then, in the shadows, something moved. Stepped closer.

Aro felt his stomach twist. For a fleeting second, he wanted to remove his helmet before he threw up inside of it.

Crona's arms limply dropped to her sides and the gun almost dropped from her hand. Asura didn't move in the slightest.

A person stepped out of the shadows. Clad in black armor so dark, he was invisible in the shadows of the wall. A single crimson stripe across his chest and a red cape were the only color to him.

"An…Andal?" Crona almost whimpered.

The broad shoulders went stiff and a hand slowly went to his head, sweeping back the hood in one smooth motion.

Brown skin. Brown hair. Red eyes.

"You of all people know I don't like repeating myself," the Herald said, "My name is Sloth now." There was an anger to his voice that seemed to only be on the surface.

"Why are you here, _Sloth_?" Asura snarled, adding an emphasis on his new, given name.

"I could ask the same thing," the former Hunter Vanguard cocked his head in confusion, "Stealing the Sword of Crota? Does the Tower not remember the last time humanity pissed off that monster?"

"We're here to destroy it. We want nothing to do with it," Aro said, finding his voice.

Sloth gave a humorless bark, "That's funny. How are you going to do that when I'm here to take it?"

"What?"

"I've been ordered to take it and bring it back. Pride wants it. And what he wants, he tends to get," Sloth turned around and moved closer to the Sword.

"Why are you telling us all of this?" Aro asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Crona trembling beside him.

Sloth stopped in his advance on the blade. His still stiff shoulders relaxed and he turned his head slightly to reveal his red eyes; wide and glowing threateningly.

"Why not?" he asked in a low, threatening tone, "I mean…who's going to stop me? _You?_ "

Without warning, Crona burst into Arc lightning and charged, kicking up dust in her wake.

"CRONA, NO!" Aro roared. She didn't listen and she didn't stop. She jumped into the air and dropped down towards the Herald.

Sloth jumped out from under Crona's descent. A black hand cannon appeared in his left hand while his knife appeared in his right, bursting into a vibrant blue. He began to fire at her, the gun flashing with every click of trigger. Crona called on her Force Barrier and threw her arms up in front of her face just in time to block the bullets. All the while, Sloth stalked closer, his knife and entire body crackling with Arc energy.

"Help her!" Asura yelled, taking out his own knife. Both Aro and Asura ran at the Hunter but Asura was on top of him first. Sloth brought his Arc Blade up to deflect the incoming knife. Asura pushed him away and and attempted to strike a second time only to be defended against a second time. Crona, having recovered threw a Barrier covered fist at his head, forcing him to twirl away from Asura to avoid it. Sloth began shooting at Asura, with Crona jumping in front of the bullets and using her body as a shield, running closer to him all the while.

Once Crona had gotten close enough, she cupped her hand over the muzzle of just as the last bullet fired, her hand stopping the bullet just as it left the gun. "Akira knows, Sloth!" Crona yelled as they struggled.

Sloth faltered, "What?" he asked just barely above a whisper.

"She knows," Crona repeated, leaning closer, "Everything."

Roaring in anger and frustration, Sloth struck at her with his knife and used the empty gun to brutally pistol whip an incoming Asura. Then he dropped the gun and quickly took out a second knife, Arc Sabers extending from both of them.

"Now, Aro! Get him now!" Crona yelled as she scrambled away from Sloth.

Aro brought all his Light forward and pushed out. The energy manifested in a torrent of flames that slammed into the Herald. Like Shaxx said, Aro didn't hold anything back. Asura's cloak and Crona's mark whipped backwards at the wind of the flames, with Asura backing up against a wall and Crona retreating behind Aro.

Any confidence Aro felt before disappeared when a shadowed figure flew out from the torrent. Sloth Blinked towards out of the flames, grabbed Asura by the helmet and brutally slammed his head into the wall hard enough to create a small crater. He threw his dazed body toward the center of the room and Blinked away again, this time appearing before Aro. Aro jumped backwards to avoid being cleaved through the head and ducked again to avoid decapitation. He brought his open palm out in an attempt to blast him away.

Sloth saw it coming. He dodged to the side as the invisible blast left Aro's Palm and grabbed Aro's arm before he could pull it back. Aro desperately threw his other arm at Sloth's head, only to have that one grabbed and his legs violently kicked out from under him. He slammed stomach first onto the hard stone floor, the breath knocked out of him. Before he could recover, waves of blinding pain crashed into him as Sloth buried his knife through Aro's hand and into the ground, pinning him. It took all his effort not to scream.

Without a look back at Aro, Sloth Blinked towards Crona grabbing and holding her by the throat. She did everything she could manage, struggling to break out of his grip. The Herald didn't even budge. Arc lightning crackled all over his body as his injuries from the flames regenerated.

"Get away from her Sloth! Crona!"Aro roared, trying his hardest to move his hand. But even the slightest twitch made him want to scream in agony. Even breathing hurt. The knife was buried deep.

Sloth, with a look on his face that said he was close to tears, raised his second knife, "I'm so sorry, Crona."

Without warning, she began to thrash and scream. Tendrils of Light slowly floated out of her body and into the Herald's. The Arc Saber extended…

Asura brought himself to stand up, shaking his head and looking behind him. Sloth brought the blade up and positioned the tip at her heart, his hand trembling slightly. Asura looked back at the Sword of Crota and after only a moment's hesitation, grabbed it by the handle.

A blast wave of energy traveled throughout the entire chamber. Sloth paused in his draining of Crona's Light and looked back at Asura, eyes watching him intently.

Asura's shoulders were shaking but his grip on the Sword was tight and unmoving. His arms moved and the weapon moved with them.

Sloth's blade came down to his side.

Asura's new Sword came down to the ground. A wave of white light shot across the room along the stone floor, forcing Sloth to just barely avoid it and drop Crona in the process. Her body fell some distance away, sent flying by the blast.

Aro took the opportunity push as much power into his hands as he could manage. The ground exploded under him, finally freeing himself. Ignoring the blinding pain in his hands, he ran past Asura and dropped near Crona.

"She's alive. Just a bit stunned," Her Ghost told him. He slipped her arm around his neck and hauled her heavy frame to her feet.

All the while, Asura didn't take his eyes off Sloth. Not even to see if Crona was alright. He kept his eyes trained Sloth, who called his other knife to his open hand. A second Arc Saber extended from the tip. Sloth's eyes never left him either.

Without warning, Asura was on top of Sloth, falling and attempting to bring the Sword down on his head. Sloth Blinked backwards and jumped forward, quickly jabbing his blade outward in the hopes of catching Asura before he could bring the massive Sword back up. Asura twisted away from Sloth's attack, taking the Sword with him and bringing it full circle. Sloth had to bring both Arc Sabers up to stop the Asura from cutting him in half.

The two Hunters struggled against one another for nearly a minute until Asura removed one hand from the Sword's handle and formed the Golden Gun, firing it point blank at Sloth immediately. Sloth was knocked backwards, grunting with each impact. Before he could recover, Asura grabbed the Sword of Crota again and smashed Sloth in arm, hard enough to sever it.

Sloth roared and jumped back, severed arm crumbling away to dust. Aro could only stare, slightly put off by Asura's ferocity. Was it actually Asura?

Sloth stumbled backwards, clutching his still regenerating arm, "As much fun as this has been, the three of you have bigger things to worry about," Sloth raised his uninjured hand and pointed at the back of the room, " _Literally_."

In unison, all three Swarm Princes suddenly roared and raised their blades, charging the Guardians. Aro looked back at Sloth, only to see that he was gone.

Crona struggled out of his grip, "I can walk. I'm fine."

"Then get ready-"

"Both of you get out of the way!" Kain suddenly yelled. Aro instinctively did as he was told just in time to see Asura slam the Sword on to the ground again directly behind them.

The blast wave was much larger than the one before. It tore through the Princes like nothing and slammed into the back wall, blowing it out and creating a gaping hole in the Hive chamber.

The Sword suddenly crumbled to pieces a few seconds after.

Aro gaped at Asura, whose shoulders were trembling slightly. He looked to the newly formed hole in the wall for a long time and then back to Asura.

Bringing his gun up again, he approached cautiously. Asura didn't move, the handle of the shattered Sword still in his hand. Aro brought his hand up and laid it tentatively on Asura's shoulder. Asura's head jerked around at the touch, causing Aro to flinch slightly. Asura looked back at his hands and dropped the handle.

"Are you alright?"

Asura laughed excitedly, "Never better! I had fun."

"I…what?"

Asura shook his head, "Nothing. C'mon, let's get out of here," he said, giving Aro a hard clap on the shoulder before disappearing.

"The hell…" Aro murmured. He turned to look at Crona, who just shrugged before disappearing herself.

Aro trudged over to where the pieces of the Sword lay. He squatted down, picking one of the pieces. The fragment reacted to his touch, glowing a soft green.

Aro hummed in confusion, "Is it safe to bring this back? Kain, come and analyze this. Why is it glowing?"

His Ghost did as told, a cone of light scanning over the pieces, "Hmm…"

"What?"

"I can detect the Light leaving the Sword. It's not returning to the Traveler for some reason but it's not the reason why it glows when you touch it."

"It did the same for Asura too," Aro sighed, and pocketed the piece, "Let's take it back to Master Ives. We're done here."

He was back in his ship within the time it took to blink. He sat down in the chair and took at the piece of Crota's legendary blade. As before, it glowed a soft green. Despite everything, he smiled.

"You realize we actually beat Sloth, right?" Aro asked Kain softly.

"We didn't exactly kill him…" the Ghost flew around to face him.

"No but we made him retreat."

"Was that lucky for him or for us?"

"Just let me have this moment, alright?"

The Ghost chuckled, "Alright."

Aro sighed and laid his head back, promptly falling asleep.

* * *

Sloth remained completely still in the dark, even after Aro had finally followed the others back to orbit. He had backed out of the fight and sat in the dark to watch the remainder of it. It wasn't until he was sure there was no one coming back did he slip from the crack in the wall and slid down. He slowly walked over to the fragments, dropping down to sit cross legged next to them.

He picked up one of the pieces in his hand. Just as with Aro and Asura, it glowed a soft green, reacting with the Darkness inside him. He rolled it around in his hand absentmindedly. His mouth remained shut and his face betrayed little emotion but inside of him, anger and shame raged.

" _They told her?! They told her! What was Cayde thinking? What were any of them thinking?!"_ he internally screamed to himself. His hand went over his face, "What must she be thinking?" he whispered to himself out loud.

Hunters were to be so sure of their abilities, their powers and training required it and as Captain, he always had to be a step above the rest. But it wasn't him. The face he showed the world was not who he really was. It was a mask, an act; one he got tired of performing, day in and day out. Acting as if he still got hungry and ate like normal. Acting as if the things that interested him in his younger days still actually interested him.

Acting as if he went to bed every night, unbothered by the thought of never waking up again.

Akira was his rock. She did everything for him and how did he reward her? By dying. By going to face that Fallen monster and purposely losing to it.

Sloth ran a hand through his hair, throwing back his hood in the process. He just barely stifled back a sob mixed with a bitter laugh, "Sloth. The one who didn't even try. What a fucking joke."

A shameful joke on his naming by Pride but still with a kernel of truth. He _let_ Taniks kill him. He had never regretted a decision so much and so quickly in his life. Pride had come to him as he lay dying on the ground. Pride gave him an option and in his panic, he took it. He became the seventh Herald.

The man shook his head and wiped the frozen tears on his face. He was going to run out of water inside him soon. Not as if he needed it. He was nothing more than a reanimated corpse.

"I should've stayed dead," he thought out loud, not for the first time, "I abandoned her. Now all I've done is given her a second reason to hate me.

He calmed his mind but it didn't matter. Pride had probably seen everything already. " _It's done. Everything went according to plan,"_ he projected his thoughts out.

Several seconds passed before a reply came, " _Good. Return the fragments to Crota. Let him rebuild his Sword."_ Pride didn't wait for a confirmation. It's not like Sloth had a choice in the matter. He would do it, whether he wanted to or not.

And he _really_ didn't want to.

He picked up the largest fragment that was left behind and disappeared for Crota's throne world.

Before he left, he sent a silent thought of gratitude to Asura for stopping him from killing Crona.

His unmoving heart couldn't take any more guilt.

* * *

 _Sorry for the lateness, very important tests coming up but after this week, uploads should pick back up again_


	16. Calm Before the Storm

_Calm Before the Storm_

* * *

Aro was up on his feet before the ship completely docked. He touched his robed armor, feeling the bump that was a shard of the shattered Sword. It stopped glowing when he touched it a while ago but he still felt better not letting any non-Guardians have extended contact with it. He was hoping to see what it would do if one of the other Guardians touched it. He had a theory for why it glowed. He was hoping it was wrong. Now he'll never know. Maybe for the best.

"I've got to report to Petra that Sloth attacked. The Vanguard as well as the others back on Earth need to know to keep their guard up," he mumbled to himself as he trudged out of the ship. He stepped out of the ship, still lost in his own thoughts, "Kayla is still trying to figure out how to get into the Archives. Need to make time for tha-" his mumbling came to an abrupt halt when strong arms pulled him into a tight hug.

"Could've waited for the armor to be removed and cleaned you know," Aro mumbled into Daniel's neck, earning a throaty chuckle. Daniel started to pull away when Aro pulled him back into the embrace, "Few more minutes."

"People are starting to stare."

"Let 'em," Aro said, muffled by Daniel's shirt.

"Did something happen on the Moon?"

"Sloth happened," Crona grumbled as she walked past.

"What?" Daniel grabbed Aro's shoulders and held him out, forcing him to look up.

Aro sighed, "Sloth met us on the Moon. He wanted the Sword."

"Well, what happened?!" Daniel almost yelled.

"Well let's see," Crona said, pretending to be deep in thought, "Asura got knocked out. Aro got pinned to ground by a knife through both his hands and I almost got the Light ripped out of me."

Her poisonous tone was not lost on him. Daniel sighed and touched her shoulder, "Will you be alright?'

She looked down, "Do I have a choice?" she mumbled before she began to leave the Vestian Hangars. She stopped and turned around to look at Daniel, "I guess I understand how you felt on the Moon two years ago. Having someone you knew, trusted...and even loved for such a long time almost kill you..." she shook her head, "That was probably the most painful part."

Neither Aro nor Daniel had a response to that. They both watched her trudge out of the Hangar and were silent even after she left until a hand clapped them both on the shoulder, causing Daniel to jump slightly.

"She's really feeling it, huh?" Asura said loudly, causing Aro to shy away slightly. He pushed in between the two, "Don't know why though. I mean we won!"

"She said you were unconscious," Daniel pointed out.

"What she didn't say was that I woke up, grabbed the Sword and nearly cut the bastard in half!"

"I...really?"

"Yeah, really! He decided to wuss out and send his lackies after us."

Daniel gave Aro a very brief confused look before looking back down at Asura, "Well, I'm glad you're all alright."

Asura's armor disappeared, replaced by his uniform, "I'm feeling better than I have in a very long time," he slung his jacket over his shoulder and almost _swaggered_ out of the Outpost; completely opposite of Crona's angry stomping.

"He's talking again at least," Aro explained meekly when Daniel turned back to him with an incredulous expression. They were both walking to leave now.

"A bit sudden, don't you think?"

"Maybe he's happy we drove Sloth away."

"Maybe…" Daniel mumbled. The Vestian Hangar doors slid open and the guard standing at the front allowed them through. They stepped into a long narrow hallway that led to the main area of the outpost.

They walked in relative silence for a little while until Daniel put an arm around Aro's shoulder, "You busy right now?" he asked in a rough voice, leaning on him.

"A bit but I'm sure you can wait," Aro answered, taking his bait with a innocent grin.

Daniel groaned. Aro laughed until his Ghost popped up, "Actually, you've got the next few hours to yourself. I still need to formulate and process an official report."

"Oh…well then thanks," with that, Kain disappeared, leaving Aro alone with an increasingly touchy Daniel.

"You have time for… _unwinding_ now?" Daniel mumbled into his neck.

"I guess I do."

Daniel started to steer him back to their room, "I promise I'll be worth your time."

"You almost always are," Aro chuckled, letting himself be pushed.

"Rude."

Aro laughed.

They reached their shared room in nearly half the time it usually took. Aro fumbled with the door controls while trying to balance Daniel's weight on his back. Finally the doors slid open. Daniel's weight suddenly increased as he forced the both of them inside.

Aro switched on the lights only to be greeted by a black and white Exo whose face was partially covered by her hooded cape sitting on their bed.

"You're back. Good," she said, one leg crossed over the other, "I was getting tired of waiting."

"Diana?" Aro blanched before quickly closing the door behind him, "Why are you here?!" he whispered.

The blue eyed android stood, "Where is Wrath?"

"Which Wrath are you talking about?" Daniel asked, leaning back against the door

"The genocidal time bomb that follows this one around like some lost animal!" She yelled, sticking a finger in Aro's face.

"Keep your voice down!" Aro whispered through his teeth, earning narrowed eyes, "I don't need them catching you here. Just calm down and explain to me what's wrong."

Diana looked him up and down before turning her back to him. She sighed, "I don't know how to explain it. I…felt him," she turned back around, "Where did you go? What happened?"

"The Moon. To find and destroy the Sword of Crota," Aro said, sitting down on the bed and starting to take off his boots, "Sloth was waiting there."

"And then?" Diana urged him on

"He said he wanted the Sword. To take it back to Pride. He pinned me to the ground, stunned Asura and almost killed Crona."

"What about Wrath, Aro? Did Wrath take him over?"

"I…I don't know. Asura grabbed the Sword and fought Sloth on equal footing. Enough to force him to retreat and send a group of Hive after us. Asura killed them and the weapon crumbled to pieces. But Spirit said nothing to indicate that it wasn't Asura in control. He didn't speak until the end and it was in his normal voice and a lot more excited than he's seemed in a long while," Aro's voice trailed off, "What do you plan to do?" he asked her.

"I'm going to go find him," Diana stated, walking for the door.

"What? No!" Aro was on his feet in a second, "You can't confront him. Not here and not now!"

"And if that was Wrath fighting?" she shot back, "The fact he was able to calmly fight off one of your strongest Heralds tells me what I need to know."

"Just...let me handle it, alright?" Aro urged.

"You? Why you?" she turned on him.

"Think about it. Whether it's Asura or Wrath(A) in control, he's still a Guardian," Daniel said calmly. He had moved to block the door, "How long do you think you'd last against him in a fight?"

She glared at Aro while Daniel spoke, shoulders raised like a wolf ready to maul. They relaxed, "Fine," she snapped, "Take care of it." She made sure to emphasize the "take care" before she disappeared in a soft glow of blue light.

Aro let out the anxious breath he had been holding and sat down on the bed, dropping his head into his hands. "Never would've guessed that Asura might have been taken over," he groaned and fell back on the bed, placing one arm over his eyes , "I'm such an idiot."

"Aw, come on. It may have just been like the other times," Daniel pointed out, "He may have retreated."

"Maybe. Still, I should watch him. As should you," Aro removed his arm from his eyes and trained them on Daniel, "Come on. We're finally alone."

Daniel let out a small laugh and sauntered closer. From across the room, Aro used his mind to turn the lights to turn off.

* * *

"What do you think this is about?" Katrina asked as she fell in step with Mira. They both briskly made their way to the Vanguard Hall; where the remaining Will of Light clan team leaders had been ordered to meet.

"You know, we always ask ourselves the same question and none of us ever know," Mira said, tying her short brown dreadlocks back, "I say we wait and see this time."

Katrina let out a short snort of a laugh.

The two Hunters reached the Hall quickly enough. In front of the closed off Vanguard meeting room door, stood Aashir, rigid and stoic as always; glaring at the door as if it had wronged him. Sora was adamant that he kept a stick next to his bed so that the first thing he could do in the morning was ram it up his own-

"Aashir! Buddy, good to see you," Mira exclaimed in a fake friendly tone. Aashir barely even looked at her before pressing a hand to a panel and letting the doors open. Inside were the Vanguard surrounding a large holographic table with an image of the Moon emanating from the center.

"Good. The three of you are here," Ikora said after the doors had closed behind the three, "We've received a report from Kain, Aro's Ghost. The Sword of Crota made a reappearance after all these years, just as the my order believed it would." The Moon highlighted a certain section of the Ocean of Storms region and zoomed in.

"Turns out the Reef detected it as we did. They sent a team to destroy it and bring back some parts to research," the Commander said, "Aro, Crona and Asura went in and encountered…trouble."

"Trouble, sir?" Aashir asked, shoulders slightly tensing.

The image of the Moon flicked into a different one. A person.

Cayde sighed loudly, "Sloth met them there. Kain's report said he attempted to take the Sword but was successively fought off and the weapon shattered."

"They beat Sloth?" Katrina asked, disbelieving, "The former Captain? Doesn't that strike anyone as a bit suspicious?"

"That's why I said!" Cayde exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

"It was more like he retreated," Ikora admitted.

"And while it strikes _everyone_ as strange," Zavala said, "The point is they completed their mission and came back in one piece, even with Herald interference. I know you three will be departing on important missions very soon, so I hope you haven't forgotten about them."

"They almost killed my team and destroyed my Ghost," Katrina said, "I haven't forgotten _anything_."

Zavala gave her a grim smile, "Good."

The three were dismissed without further discussion. They left the hall together, Aashir pulling ahead slightly.

"So these big missions we keep hearing about; when do we get details?" Mira asked.

Aashir didn't stop in his stride, "When I see fit."

Mira frowned, "Oh really? Will that be before or after we leave?"

"My money's on after we've finished," Katrina quipped.

"I'll see that bet."

Aashir stopped in his tracks, "Are we going to have a problem?"

"That depends on if you ever plan to start treating us like members of this clan!" Mira rounded on him to look him in the eye. A difficult feat seeing as she was nearly a foot shorter than him.

"Why should I? You're here solely by chance," he said.

He tried to go around her but she blocked his path again, "Hold on, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I'd like to know too," Katrina said, crossing her arms.

"Neither of your teams have shown any success in fighting them off," Aashir moved closer, "As a matter of fact, _your_ team was almost killed and _your_ team almost got someone killed!"

"You're blaming me for Tarlowe?" Mira asked, eyes widening in anger, "You haven't gone to see him _once_ since the incident but all of a sudden, you care?! I'm touched."

"I mean your reckless decision nearly cost a man his life!" Aashir yelled, before lowering his voice, "You're a security risk. You're here to be kept an eye on. That's it," he went around her and started to walk away. Mira's hands clenched and unclenched in rage.

"And why are you?" Katrina asked him, "You've never fought a Herald or even seen one."

"Doesn't matter. My team can hold our own. We wouldn't have been chosen if we couldn't. I don't know what the Vanguard were thinking, putting a bunch of inexperienced people into a clan like this. Especially putting someone so young in charge! If we're being honest, he's only here because he's the center of all this. Hell, not only is he the center; he's the reason! And as much you all play nice to his face to spare his guilt, you know this to be true. None of us would be in this situation if it wasn't for him."

Neither women said anything.

"In any case, orders have been given," Aashir continued, "It is not my place to question them."

"No," Katrina responded, "Just to follow. Like a good little-"

"A good little what? _Machine?"_ Aashir turned on her.

"Don't start putting words into my mouth, Aashir," she growled, getting into his face.

Aashir's blue eyes narrowed, "You will get your details when I get it to you," he growled back, "Now if we're done, I've got more important things to do than argue with you two. Staring at a wall comes to mind." Without another look back, he left the Hall. Mira let out a shaky breath and started to stalk away.

"Where are you going?" Katrina called after her.

"To hit something!" came the reply before it was silent again.

Katrina's Ghost appeared next to her head, "Well that was…"

"Headache inducing?" Katrina offered with a small smile.

"No, watching you try to read one of Sora's books is "headache inducing". This doesn't really have words."

Katrina laughed lowly and started to walk out of the Hall, untying the ponytail she usually kept her long white hair in, "Has he always been like this?"

"Should I ask Aveline and Josef Torres?"

"Please don't, Kida. I don't feel like listening to them come up with excuses for him. I mean it's obvious he believes he should be leader of this clan, the way he's acting like a child denied what he believes is rightfully his."

"The twins must see something in him if they're willing to defend him."

"Well he's yet to show it," she sighed, "I miss the kid leading us. Can't wait for this little trip to be over."

* * *

"I trust you enjoyed yourself?" Corin breathed, moving his hair from his eyes.

Crona hummed contently, sinking deeper into the sheets. Corin laughed.

The Awoken man got up and walked around the bed, searching for wherever his clothes were thrown. Crona was content to lean back and admire the view. She frowned slightly at a bruise developing on his shoulder. She to used to being with other Guardians; it was easy to forget that others aren't as resilient and don't heal as fast.

"Something on that last mission must have stressed you out, huh?" Corin called across the room, breaking her or of her thoughts.

She laughed, "You have no idea."

"And I probably never will but it's not like it's my business," he laughed too. He walked back to the bed and sat on the edge, his back to her, "I've got to be honest. I never expected anything like this," he said.

"Like what?"

"I've heard a lot of things about Guardians. Not all of them good, I'll admit," he explained, "I'm glad to have met someone like you. To be proven wrong."

"Oh…I…" Crona shifted uncomfortably, "I'm glad to have helped."

"For one, I didn't know machines could have Light and be Guardians."

"Machines?"

"Yeah, the ones that hang around you all the time."

Crona frowned, "You mean Asura and Kayla?"

"Yeah, those ones. I mean, I had heard of Cayde, Kabr and Saint-14 but I never realized it was so common."

"It's pretty common…and they don't like to be called machines, Corin."

"But that's what they are, right?"

"Either way."

He sighed, "In any case, I'm back on duty," he said, standing and fixing his uniform, "Will I see you again.

"Um…yeah. Sure," she answered.

"I look forward to it," He smiled and left with a wave. Crona waved back, attempting to hide how troubled she felt.

* * *

Asura leisurely strolled down the hall, humming to himself and ignoring the strange and sometimes judgmental looks he got from any Awoken he passed.

Nothing could ruin ruin his day right now. Not Sloth and certainly not that Awoken boy Crona had warming her bed.

He reached his room and quickly closed and locked the door. He shrugged off his jacket and went into the bathroom, flicking on the lights to observe his own face. He laughed at his reflection in a deep menacing voice.

One that was not his own.

"It has been a _long_ time hasn't it, Spirit?" he drawled. He brought up his hand summoned his Ghost, "Oh yeah, that's right. You can't speak. Not unless I let you."

Spirit silently peered at him.

" _You won't fool them for long, Wrath,"_ a voice inside his head cried.

"Asura? You're still with me?" Wrath barked, this time out loud with Asura's mouth, "Now that's funny. You're a funny guy."

Trapped inside his own body, Asura rammed against the inside of his own mind, " _Give me back my fucking body, Wrath!"_

Wrath calmly lifted his hand, testing out his fingers, "Your body? This has always been mine! And thanks to our friend Sloth, I've gotten it back and I don't plan on letting it go anytime soon."

" _What do you plan to do?"_

"Not that it's any of your business but I plan to take off once we get back to Earth. I'd rather not be around for when the Heralds take your City," the hilarity of the fact that he was arguing with himself was not lost on him.

" _So much power. So much potential. Yet so little ambition,"_ a completely new voice broke through his thoughts and saturated every part of his mind.

Wrath(A) tensed but otherwise did not interrupt.

" _You could do so much more. Be so much more."_

" _Who the hell is that?"_ Asura asked.

" _I offer you a choice, Wrath,"_ the voice continued, ignoring Asura, " _Run away from the City or help me dismantle it. Brick by brick. When you want to do more than just "live", seek me out. I'll send someone to get you."_

"Who are you?" Wrath(A)'s question echoed across the room.

Wrath groaned, an intense flash of pain suddenly striking him. He dropped to his knee and tightly clutched his head. The pain reached its max and suddenly disappeared. Wrath(A) started to stand back up, using the bathroom sink for support.

The voice laughed, " _I think you know who I am."_

Wrath(A) looked at himself in the mirror and was startled at the reflection.

The bright pink eyes he had were replaced with a sharp red.

Wrath(A) closed his eyes and concentrated. When he opened them, they were pink once again.

Eyes closed. Concentrate. Red.

Eyes closed. Concentrate. Pink.

For the second time that day, Wrath laughed and laughed.

* * *

 _Just a reminder, Diana is the name given to the Exo Stranger. Where she and Asura/Wrath(A) come from, they weren't considered people despite having sentience and a full range of emotions and therefore didn't get names_


	17. Asura's Wrath

_I've been planning this title since the first book_

* * *

 _Asura's Wrath_

* * *

"Tarlowe?" Daniel called through his Ghost, "Tarlowe, can you hear me? Have you found a way into the Archives?"

Silence and then an slightly annoyed but mostly amused, " _Good morning to you too."_

In the bed behind him, Aro snorted. Daniel's head swiveled around just in time to see Aro bring the book back up to hide his face.

Daniel sighed and turned back to where his Ghost was floating, "I didn't realize it was morning."

" _Four in the morning to be exact. Not that I've slept or anything. Found something pretty, um…pretty big."_

Daniel swallowed. The bed shifted and he heard Aro's feet pad closer and a large hand on his shoulder soon after. Daniel breathed, "I'm listening."

" _Dad only had a small interest in the Archives. All of the research he's done points to one place; The Vault of Glass_."

Daniel frowned, "The Vault of what?"

"The Vault of Glass?" Aro said. Daniel shook his head, "You don't know about the Vault of Glass?"

"...No?"

" _Woooow,"_ Tarlowe laughed. The tension in the air was gone in an instant.

"Shut up. What is the place?" Daniel huffed.

"From what I've read, it's the Vex stronghold in our Solar System. A place where they can manipulate time and space on a whim," Aro explained, "It's also where Kabr and his teammate, Pahanin tried to conquer. Whatever they saw there shook Pahanin up because he was sent back to Earth by Kabr with serious mental problems. Post traumatic stress syndrome and possible mania. He kept muttering about some man named 'Praedyth'."

"Who's Praedyth?"

"No one knows."

" _And Kabr never left with him?"_ Tarlowe asked.

"That's right. Kabr died there and Wrath returned in his place," Aro finished.

"What would Dad want with a place like that?" Daniel asked, this time to Tarlowe.

" _No clue,"_ Tarlowe sighed, " _That's all I've found. I'll keep working. Any extra info you find on the Vault would be greatly appreciated."_

"We'll keep an eye out, Tarlowe. Thanks," Aro said before the call ended.

Daniel leaned back and sighed, "Caesar, can you access the Tower's archives from here?"

"I've got the full database saved. I'll start looking for what I can," the Ghost said.

Daniel stood, "I'm gonna go see what Kayla knows. You wanna come?"

Aro chuckled, "Why not? Let me just find a shirt…"

"Or you know…just go shirtless,"

"Daniel…"

The man raised his hands, "Just a suggestion."

"I swear, you're like a dog," Aro continued, slipping into the first clean shirt he could find, "You could take your own suggestion, you know."

"What? Me? You'd actually allow that?"

"I'm not saying I'd _allow_ it. Just that I wouldn't mind if it were to, you know…occur,"

"Mmhmm," Daniel moved closer to Aro, brought a thumb to the corner of Aro's smiling mouth and pretended to wipe it, "Close your mouth, _dog._ You're drooling."

"Shut up," Aro shoved him towards the door and out of the room and followed him out the door. Daniel twisted away from his hands and wrapped his arm around Aro's neck in a grip that would have been uncomfortable to anyone weaker. Aro responded in kind around his waist and the both of them slowly moved down the hall in the comfortably silent embrace.

The silence and the comfort, as always, didn't last long. Both Kain and Caesar appeared in front of their faces, forcing them to stop in their tracks before colliding face first with both Ghosts.

"Guys, we've got a problem!" Caesar said urgently.

Both men paused and shared a look.

"Aro, it's Asura," Kain said, "We need to get down to the commons. _Now."_

Just as Kain said that, Aro felt a wave of cold pass suddenly over him. He flinched violently, and turned to face in the direction of the commons, twisting away from Daniel and causing him to immediately let him go, worried. Aro rationally tried to believe that it was just his imagination running wild again but he couldn't.

Something was very wrong.

* * *

Erek stood outside a small, almost inconspicuous door. The hall was empty. Maybe even the entire area. He wondered if they were all ordered away. At least he hoped they were.

" _We've been standing out here for several minutes."_ Eren reminded him inside his head.

" _Don't rush me!"_ Erek barked back. He really did not like dealing with things. It was the main reason he couldn't bring himself to visit Eren's grave for so long a time.

He sighed, steeled himself and finally knocked on the door. A deep voice answered, "Who goes?"

"Erek Sov," he answered. He immediately berated himself for using his surname. It still carried the weight that he didn't want it to.

As expected, the door quickly opened and the guard bowed, "I apologize for not recognizing you, my Prince."

Behind the guard, as expected, were Mara and Uldren, talking to each other in low whispers. They stopped once they got a look at him.

He looked the guard up and down but didn't respond. His face was covered but his body language spoke volumes. In a room with the three of them was probably the last place he wanted to be.

"Leave us," Uldren commanded, glaring at Erek.

"Yes, my Prince," the guard responded before power walking out of the room and Erek tried not to follow him. Erek walked in and after a second, closed the door behind him.

He stood up straight with both hands behind his back and looked forward, "You wanted to see me, your Majesties?"

"Drop the act, Erek. We're alone." Uldren barked angrily. Mara kept silent, blue eyes barely moving as she observed him.

Erek ground his teeth and relaxed, "Fine. Why am I here? What's there to talk about?"

"You've been on Earth this entire time? Doing what?!" Uldren demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Erek let a tiny bit of contempt enter his voice, "Fighting the Darkness. Safeguarding humanity. All the things this kingdom is too cowardly to do!"

"Enough." With a single word, Mara silenced her older and younger brother. Her eyes never moved from him, "When did you become one of them?"

Erek calmed himself down, "Five Earth years after I left the Reef." As much as he wanted to look away, he held her piercing gaze.

"And why did you leave?" Mara's voice was calm but her tone was poisonous, angry and maybe even a little hurt.

"Ah. The big question," Erek chuckled at the tenseness of the situation, "You see…there's this woman. Maybe you've heard of her; eyes like stars, hair as black as the space between them. A smile that made this dark, dreary place somewhere you actually wanted to be," Despite everything, Erek softly smiled at the memory.

Mara's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. Uldren was less than amused.

"Are you serious, Erek? Abandoning your duties. Your family! And for what? Some common girl?" Uldren practically yelled. Erek was almost glad to see he still had their father's temper, "And where is she? Back on Earth, no doubt, taking care of your many children, while you prance across the planets 'safeguarding humanity'."

Erek eyes widened in rage, "Eren is dead," he seethed, "I'd prefer it if you had a little more respect."

Mara's shoulders dropped a bit in shock. Uldren closed his eyes in frustration. "I'm sorry," he muttered. Erek couldn't tell if he actually meant it.

Either way, he didn't believe it, "I'm sure you are," he sneered, "Am I done here?"

"How did she die?" Mara asked softly.

"Dredgen Yor. Perhaps you've heard of him too. He goes by Lust now. He's one of them."

"Yes, Petra told me this," Mara murmured, "She did not tell me about Eren."

"It wasn't her place to. And with all due respect, _your Majesties_ , Eren is none of your concern," Erek said, "I made no plans to tell you anything about her."

"Eren left my kingdom, so you are right," Mara admitted, "But whether or not you left us, you are still my brother. _You_ are my concern." Her eyes softened, "You could've stayed."

"Stayed?" Erek asked, "Stayed here where my options were either ask her to be miserable and wait for you to change the Council's mind and let us be together? Or watch her fall in love with another man? Out of the question. Besides, my Ghost would've found me sooner or later. I would've been forced to leave anyway. At least on Earth, we were happy together…for a time."

The silence that followed was deafening. Erek took it as his cue to leave. He straightened, resuming the stance he took when he first entered, "If we're all done, I'll take my leave. Good day, your Majesties."

Uldren opened his mouth to stop him but Mara raised her hand. Erek turned to face the door only to be greeted by the sight of his Ghost floating between him and the door.

"Erek, there's something wrong. In the commons. We need to get there now."

"What is it, Ghost?" Uldren called from behind Erek.

Eren looked from Uldren and back to Erek, "It's Asura."

* * *

" _I should be working. Why am I here?"_ Kayla grumbled to her Ghost. It was mostly just complaining but still held a bit of truth. It's been awhile since she last successfully established contact with Rasputin and she was no closer to answering the questions he gave her than when she started.

She figured out that he was reciting the actions he took during the Collapse. He was the reason she was a Warmind inside an Exo's body. Or a mix of both the Exo and the Warmind. It was getting harder to tell.

One thing was certain; he protected two Warminds. One in Kenya and the other in North America, the former United States. Which means there was someone else out there just like her. Who are they? Are hey already dead? Have they even been risen yet? Can they even be risen at all? There's no guarantee they'll be a Guardian. She needed time to figure all of this out and maybe even take a trip back to Earth to investigate.

But for now, she was in the Vestian Outpost common area with Asura. It's been awhile since he was his old excited and talkative self. Destroying your home planet and driving your own creators to extinction must weigh heavily on the mind. If he was improving, she'd be glad to help him along.

What didn't help were the stares they were getting. She shifted uncomfortably, "How can you stand it Asura?"

He was laying back on the chair opposite her, "Stand what?" he asked politely.

"The…the staring. They're all staring at us," she whispered.

Asura shrugged, "They've never seen Guardians before."

"Still."

"Oh, come on!" He said, a bit loudly, "It should remind you of home. Turns out Humans, Earthborn and Reefborn Awoken are no different huh? Always minding everybody else's business but their own."

Kayla chuckled softly at that.

"Speaking of which, I never got to ask," he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, "About that little incident at that bar back on Earth."

The incident was something she was hoping to forget, "What about it?" she said.

"Why did you back down?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, "What do you mean?"

He leaned back again, "Were you afraid? Look at yourself. Look at us!" He opened his palm and a small tongue of flame manifested. His eyes shone a sharp orange with flits of fire springing out from them.

People were noticing, "Asura, stop," Kayla whispered, "Put that away!"

"What can't we do? All the power in the world…" his hand slammed shut, "And you chose to run away." The disdain in his voice was almost disturbing.

"I didn't run. What was I supposed to do? Start a fight in the middle of a crowded civilian area?" She asked, louder than she meant.

"You should've stood up for yourself!" he yelled.

"And do what, Asura?" For some reason, his pink eyes narrowed when she said his name, "Fighting them won't change things. At least I don't believe so. I believe changing their minds for the long run would be in our best interests."

Asura scoffed, "And how many more of us are going to be dismembered like toys in the hands of a child in the process while we wait for 'the long run'?"

Kayla was stunned, "That's low, Asura."

"In order for nonviolence to work, your opponent must have a conscience. Am I wrong?" Asura demanded.

"I never took you for a scholar."

"And I never took you as naive."

"Humans are not our enemies." Kayla stated, hoping her voice wasn't wavering.

Asura stood, "No. Not yet. But it's only a matter of time before they turn on us. People always want a scapegoat. We're simply the perfect candidates."

Asura began to leave the commons, only to find his path blocked. Asura looked up at the soldier in front of him, "Is there a problem?"

Kayla stood herself. She didn't like where this could go.

"That's a good question. Is there a problem?" The tall man crossed his arms.

Asura took a better look at his face, "You're that Corin boy right?" he asked in slight amusement, "The one warming Crona's bed?"

Corin's lip curled.

Asura sighed, "I'm not looking for trouble. I don't need to. It tends to find me. Me and my…friend here were just having a lively discussion about certain events back home. This discussion is done and I'd like to leave. Might I pass?"

"Don't you have an off switch?"

"Probably. I've never met anyone brave enough to look," Asura spat. His tone sounded dangerous and Kayla could've sworn she heard his voice change slightly.

" _Sixx. Call the others,"_ she ordered her Ghost.

"The Traveler actually bothered to grant _things_ like you its power. Such a waste," Corin sneered.

"What did you call me?" Asura asked lowly. Several other soldiers stood up. The commons were deathly quiet.

"I called you what you are. You can call it an insult but you can't call it lying. You should have a little bit more reverence towards the people who created you," Corin stepped closer.

Kayla attempted to step in, "Hey, there's no need for-"

"Stay out of it, machine!" Corin yelled suddenly, shocking her into silence.

Asura stared up at Corin for a few more seconds and sighed before looking at Kayla, "Is it safe to assume you're just going to take that?" he asked lowly.

Kayla didn't answer or move.

Asura had his answer, "Of course you are. Just sit there and do as you're told. Like a good little machine."

Kayla's eyes widened in shock and hurt.

Asura turned back to Corin, whose hand inched towards what he guessed was a weapon. Asura took a single step closer and Corin's hand flew outwards, brandishing a pistol. People scattered from the area once it went off. Several shots directly into Asura's skull.

Asura made no attempt to avoid them. His body jerked with each bullet that pierced his face until he finally fell over backwards, eyes black and dead.

The commons was even quieter than before. Corin let out a shaky breath before cursing and dropping the gun and letting it clatter to the floor, "Shit. I…I didn't mean…he came at me. You all saw him."

"Yes. I'm sure they did," the awakening corpse mumbled. The metal that made up Asura's face began to shift as the bullet hole's fused shutt. Asura laughed softly, "Amazing. I really can't die," he murmured to himself. When the last hole closed, the lights of his eyes came back on.

Corin's eyes were wide with shock and alarm. They widened even further when Asura suddenly sprung up and tackled him to the hard floor. Corin immediately tried to resist and stand up but Asura clamped a metal hand around his throat, pinning him in place with minimal effort.

"A machine huh?" Asura asked lowly. He raised his other hand and to Kayla's horror, a spark of Light suddenly burst out of his palm, taking the form of a flaming gun.

"ASURA!" Kayla screamed and started to sprint towards him before finding her path blocked by other Awoken soldiers with weapons drawn, some pointed at Asura and Corin, others pointed at her. They assumed she meant to join in and despite the terror emanating from every one of them, she knew they would step in order to even the odds and if they did step in, Kayla would have to defend herself.

Corin was almost rattling with fear, his eyes never leaving the Golden Gun as Asura waved it over his head. He flinched and bent his head away from the heat when Asura brought the muzzle just above his head.

"I'm a machine right?" Asura snarled again, "Then go ahead. Make me stop. _Order me._ "

Corin said nothing.

"What's the matter? _DO IT!"_ Asura roared out, voice changing again.

"Please, Asura! Stop, it's not worth it!" Kayla cried, now attempting to push past the Awoken without hurting anyone. The look in his eye said it all; he was really going to do this. He was really going to murder this man.

Corin yelled out in pain as Asura slowly pressed the burning gun to the side of his head.

"Asura, STOP!" Kayla tried one last time. Again, he ignored her, leaving her no other option. She began to gather her own Light, causing sparks of Void to gather in her palm.

"Last chance," Asura said, "Make me stop."

"Go to hell!" Corin roared out as he continued to writhe in pain.

"Famous last words," Asua muttered. His finger slowly began to tighten on the trigger. Kayla jumped over the wall of Awoken surrounding her, preparing to drop the Axion Bolt while hoping none of their weapons firing would throw her off.

Time seemed to slow down. Neither of them saw it coming.

The object was moving fast enough to almost be invisible but the impact was loud enough to echo across the commons and strong enough to send Asura flying across the room. In shock, Kayla dropped back to the ground, almost falling, and let the Axion Bolt dissipate.

Crona was standing over Corin; her shoulders taut, hands balled into fists filled with angry Arc lightning and eyes glowing a sharp blue.

Through the doors, the Aro, Daniel and Erek came running in after, with both Aro and Crona moving cautiously towards Asura. Daniel ran to her, "Kayla, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she muttered. She moved past him towards Corin who was holding the side of his face in agony. Despite what he called her, she felt sympathy wash over her, "Here, let me help you," she said.

She reached out towards him only to have her hand knocked away.

"Get the fuck away from me!" He roared. He started to stand and frantically reached for his weapon.

Erek got a hold of it first, his brows furrowed, "Why is this gun empty, soldier?" he demanded, authority she had never heard before filling his voice.

"He came at me!" Corin yelled, still holding the side of his face. Kayla noticed there was also blood dripping from where he was slammed on the ground.

"Kayla?" Erek looked back at her.

"I…he…" she stammered, "He did but-"

"Taking his side already?!" A voice called out. Still surrounded by Crona and Aro, Asura started to come to his feet.

"No! If you'd just listen-"

"I've heard enough!" He roared, voice shifting for the third time, "I've seen enough."

He pushed past his teammates and made for the exit, "I've made my choice. And so have you," he muttered as he walked past her. He gave them one last hate filled look before leaving the commons.

Maybe it was just her imagination but there was something wrong with his eyes. Did they just change color?

* * *

 _I'm just going to tell you all now, this book is gonna be much longer than the last two. It's already looking to reach into the 60s._


	18. Wrath the Striker Part I

_Wrath the Striker Part I_

* * *

 _Where am I?_

Eyes opened slowly. Figures moving back and forth in front of them. Some stopping to stare. Voices muddled and murmuring.

" _Finally…"_

" _Complete…"_

" _Still an imperfect copy…"_

" _It's the best we could manage…_

" _Wait…his eyes! They're open!"_

" _He's awake…"_

" _He's alive!"_

"… _He's watching us."_

Kabr's eyes opened, the ceiling bidding him good morning. He shifted himself to a sitting position on the large bed, which despite being reinforced, still creaked under his weight. He didn't move for a while, simply staring at the wall.

He had been having the dream more and more late. He was no closer to understanding it since the first time. He had spoken to Commander Saladin who had simply directed him to Master Osiris. For all his power and knowledge, Osiris kept drawing blanks. Maybe they weren't dreams. They didn't feel like dreams. But they only came when he slept.

Kabr stood up from the bed, joints whining with the stress. He would've preferred to have just walked out and started his day but the Humans and Awoken preferred he wore clothing. He never understood why they felt Exos needed to hide themselves and especially why so many Exos felt the same need. But he had no energy for conflict; especially not on such an important day. He'll wear pants if it keeps them quiet.

"Ghost, where are the others?" the giant Exo rumbled to his Ghost, simply named Ghost. He continued slipping on his uniform and the too tight shirt.

"Pahanin is still sleeping. Praedyth just woke up and he'll be heading to a meeting with Future War Cult that'll last until night. Anything you'd like to tell them?"

"No. That is all," Kabr said before reconsidering, "Actually…tell Praedyth good luck with his meeting. And tell Pahanin, I'll see him soon."

It was something both Osiris and Saladin had suggested he make an effort to start doing. Emotions were never his strong point and it often caused a rift between him and his team. Not only was he different from Humans and Awoken, he was almost as different from other Exos. Too stoic for even their liking.

Too machine-like.

He had no dreams of the Deep Stone Crypt as some Exos have had. Just a vat filled with fluid in a room full of murmuring voices, staring at him like some kind of object. He never felt embarrassment or discomfort but the way they looked at and spoke about him made him want to shudder. Pahanin would love to see that. Maybe even capture it on video.

Kabr left the room, ducking to avoid breaking the door frame with his head again. He spoke to no one except to respond to greetings from fellow Guardians as well as respond to embarrassed apologies from those who jumped when he appeared out of nowhere.

His slow trod took him to the Vanguard Hall, currently being redesigned. That didn't stop anyone from working in there.

"Commander," Kabr announced his presence as if his heavy stomping and looming shadow didn't alert the Titan Commander already.

The broad man straightened up slowly, "Kabr. Worried I wouldn't see you before you left for the Vault."

"I apologize if I caused any concern."

"No, it's me. I've always been a worrier," Saladin laughed, "No progress with Osiris, I take it?"

"None."

"Really?," the man scratched the shadow of a beard on his face, "He told me he had some theories. One theory to be exact."

"Theories?" Kabr's interest was piqued.

"It's better if you hear it from him. He's talking to the Speaker now. You may be able to catch them."

"Thank you, Commander," Kabr turned and began to walk out.

"Kabr?" Saladin called.

"Yes, Commander?"

"There is a going away party for you and your team later tonight," he said, not even looking up from his work, "I know you don't enjoy parties, but I expect you to be there. This may be the last time we see you."

"I understand sir. I plan to attend."

Commander Saladin smiled softly, "Good to hear."

* * *

The trip to the North Tower would have been a short one if he hadn't stopped at the Tower Plaza to look over the City. It was one of the few things that caused a stirring within him that he could never really identify.

Praedyth called it pride. Pahanin called it fondness. Kabr called it a nuisance. And because he kept coming back to experience the stirring despite his supposed dislike, Ghost called it his 'guilty pleasure'.

A Ghost as snarky as his partnered up with someone as serious and stoic as himself was all the proof he needed that for all the Traveler lost, it had managed to retain its sense of humor.

He left the view of the City behind, making for the North Tower where the Traveler was. At the bottom of the stairs was Osiris' top pupil, a young risen woman named Ikora Rey, standing as still as a statue and looking as dead eyed as one as well.

Her eye swiveled to look back without fully turning her head, "Kabr," she greeted, "A pleasure."

"Likewise, Ikora Rey," he rumbled, bowing slightly and stopping next to her, "Will Master Osiris be done soon?"

"To be honest, I stopped paying attention some time ago," she all but yawned, "Besides, they're too far away and speaking too low for me to make anything out."

"I see."

"Do you plan to talk to him about your dreams?" She asked.

"He told you?"

"Yes."

"Then yes," he answered.

"Well here is your chance. They seem to be done."

The Speaker calmly walked down the staircase, head down and hands behind his back. Osiris was much more expressive, nearly swaggering down the stairs, hands waving as he loudly talked.

Osiris had blonde hair, wide blue eyes and paler skin than Kabr had thought was normal for most humans. Despite his esteemed position as Hero of the Six Fronts, High Commander of the Guardian forces and all around one of the most powerful Warlocks ever seen, Osiris had garnered a reputation for being eccentric and a bit juvenile at times. Praedyth had once asked him how he dealt with the constant sunburns that having such pale skin allowed. Osiris' response was to enter Radiance and spent the rest of the night pretending he hadn't noticed he was on fire.

"Kabr! Good to see you," Osiris greeted enthusiastically. His excessive volume didn't even turn heads. People were used to him by now.

He turned to his student, "Ikora, you'll be working with the Speaker today."

"Yes, Master," she bowed slightly.

"And behave yourself while I'm gone. He doesn't have time today for one of your great debates,"

A small smirk crossed her face, "Always, master."

Osiris wasn't convinced, "Mmhmm. Come on, big man, walk with me." The metal of Kabr's shoulder rang when Osiris clapped him.

They left the North Tower, with Kabr walking faster than he usually did to keep up with Osiris' quick steps. They reached his office within a few minutes, Kabr stepping inside and Osiris closing the door behind him.

"This about the dreams right?" Osiris asked, walking around his desk and sitting down.

"Yes, Master."

"You can call me Osiris, Kabr. It's fine," Osiris said, 'Don't even like the title anyway but Saint was always pretty convincing."

"You had a theory on my dreams?"

"Ah. Always right to business," Osiris laughed. His easy going smile quickly disappeared, "They may not actually be dreams."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they may be memories of your creation," Osiris explained, his Ghost activating his computer.

"The Exos who have dreamed of anything related to their creation and awakening speak of the 'Deep Stone Crypt'. My dreams are nothing like what they have described."

Osiris didn't respond but several holographic images of documents sprung up over the desk. Kabr couldn't make sense of them, "What are these?" He rumbled.

"Documents. Very old; predating the Golden Age. They range from years 1970 to 2000," he said, "And they speak of a recently created android built with technology not known to exist to the general public." Osiris looked him in the eye, "The way describe its creation; it sounds a lot like they are talking about you, Kabr."

Kabr stared at the documents for a long time, quickly reading through them, "How do you know this?"

"I don't _know_ anything Kabr," he replied, "This is pure speculation. These documents were all I could obtain. A lot of knowledge from that era did not survive."

Kabr leaned back in his seat. It was a lot to take in, "In the dreams," he rumbled, "The voices call me an 'imperfect copy'."

Osiris' eyes scanned the many documents, "I'm sorry I don't…hmm."

"What is it?"

"The earliest plans for the android's design are dated 1970. But these plans are way too advanced to be simply created within a year."

"What are you getting at?"

"I think they had some kind of template," Osiris said, "They couldn't have possibly designed this or you within a year."

Kabr was getting more and more confused, "You're saying they didn't have the technological capability to produce me. How did they create this 'template'?"

"I don't think they created it, Kabr," Osiris voice was softer now. "I think they found it."

The holographic documents disappeared and was replaced by a single image.

"The Moon?" Kabr asked, leaning closer.

"1969 was the first Moon landing," Osiris said, "Like I said, a lot of information from pre-Golden Age was lost to us. We don't know what but we do know that they brought... _something_ back. A year later, they begin construction of the android."

Kabr was silent.

Osiris raised his hands, "Now I know it's just speculation. I did say it was a theory. But it sort of makes sense doesn't it?"

"Maybe," Kabr mumbled, "I don't know." He stood, "Thank you, Osiris. I'll think on this."

"Not tonight I hope. You've got enough to worry about," Osiris stood with him, "I'll make sure to see you off tomorrow. But good luck, old friend."

Osiris held out his arm. Kabr clasped it and nodded before leaving the office.

* * *

Despite what Osiris said, he couldn't stop thinking about what was said.

 _Am I incomplete? Would that explain why I've never related to any other Exo? Am I even an Exo? Was the template?_

Kabr sighed once he realized he was in front of his room. He opened the door and dropped his jacket onto the couch. He was about to follow suit until his Ghost spoke up, "You know the party is starting right?"

Kabr sighed again, turning on his heel and walking out the door. He didn't have the energy but orders were orders and for all his faults, he did as he was told.

The sun wasn't even completely gone and the music could already be heard from across the Tower. Maybe even from outside of it. The closer he got, the more and more he did not want to go.

He reached the bar and slowly trod down the stairs, not even looking as people quickly moved out of his way. He gave the obligatory nod and 'thank you' to every 'Good luck' he received on the way to where his team was situated. Pahanin was talking and laughing uproariously with a group of other Guardians; blue skin already flushed red and white hair spilling out in front of his eyes.

Praedyth did a much better job of holding his alcohol. Jacket open, brown hair only slightly tousled and off to the side away from the crowd, smiling contently. Kabr was waved over once Praedyth had noticed him. He simply nodded his greetings.

"Come on, lighten up big guy. It's a party!" Praedyth knocked back what Kabr guessed was his fourth drink.

"I don't think it's possible for me to get lighter," Kabr said, sitting down on the uncomfortably small chair.

Praedyth choked and started to laugh almost as loudly as the rest of the bar, "There we go!"

Kabr allowed himself a small laugh. For once, it didn't forced. A strong hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to see Pahanin dropping down in the chair next to him.

Kabr leaned back and let the other two do the talking. Throughout the night, that's all it was. Praedyth and Pahanin talking, Kabr adding whatever few words he felt he could offer but mostly resigning himself to observing them in peace. For once, his troubles were far from his mind.

He watched them talk; watched them laugh and the stirring the City always brought upon rose within and stayed with him throughout the night.

* * *

 _I was told I developed Toland very well. I hope to do the same to Kabr but it's a bit difficult to develop someone who's known to be stoic and stagnant. Feedback is always appreciated._

 _P.S the new Rise of Iron raid I believe is called Wrath of the Machine and I've been laughing for several hours_


	19. A Stranger's Call

_Quick reminder for any new people that Wrath(K) is Kabr and Wrath(A) is Asura._

* * *

 _A Stranger's Call_

* * *

Aro swallowed, hoping they couldn't see. The Queen and her brother were staring him down, demanding an explanation. He couldn't even begin to give them one.

Asura just...attacked a soldier. He used his powers against a normal man. Aro couldn't possibly begin to guess what was going through his head.

Uldren was livid, "Do all 'misunderstandings' on Earth end with a gun to someone's head?" He asked, stepping closer to Aro, "Or have you Guardians lost all regard for your mortality as well as others'?"

"You are here as invited guests in my kingdom and one of your own nearly murdered one of my soldiers," The Queen said calmly, "You do realize this could be taken as an attack on my person and therefore a declaration of war?"

Aro's breath caught in his throat. He struggled to let it out, "I understand, your Grace. You have my sincerest apologies. I cannot begin to justify his behavior."

She sighed softly, "We heard from Corin. He takes full blame for instigating the confrontation."

"Yes," Uldren said, "Apparently your friend took offense to be referred to as a 'machine'?"

Aro's eyebrows raised, "I…I didn't know. I'm not surprised either."

"Is that a problem back on Earth?" the Queen asked.

"Yes it is. We have had a string of violent attacks targeting the Exo population of the City, escalating from an already high rate. It is considered derogatory to refer to them as simply 'machines' as if they aren't people like us."

"Is that not what they are?" Uldren asked incredulously.

Aro went stone faced, feeling a slight bit braver, "The Vex are machines, are they not? And how someone looks does not negate their personhood. He has feelings and those feelings were hurt. But again, that does not justify attempted murder."

"I agree," The Queen stood and slowly walked down the small stairway leading to her throne, "I've studied Earth's history. Our shared history. Confrontations such as this are…typical of us. The only thing that seems to change are the victims."

Uldren sighed, "Corin's a good soldier, if a bit impulsive and brash. He will be demoted and put on probation. Asura will also be kept a close eye on," he ordered, "It was lucky that your teammate stepped in when she did. Ensure that it does not get that far again. We will not look the other way next time."

"I understand and I will. Thank you for this chance, your Majesties." Aro bowed from the waist and left the throne room, just barely keeping himself from falling against one of the pillars outside in relief. He then stood and walked as calmly and quickly as he could manage to Asura's room, where he knew all the others were waiting.

As predicted, all five of them were posted in various parts of Asura's room. Asura sat on the bed, silently staring at the ground.

They all froze once they heard the door open and slowly close. Aro took a deep breath and glared at Asura. Asura looked up and glared back.

"Explain yourself," Aro all but growled.

Asura said nothing.

"Did you not hear me?" Aro asked.

"There is nothing to say. That fool had it coming," Asura muttered.

Aro was on him in a flash, grabbing him by the collar and lifting the shorter Exo up, "Do you realize what could've happened if we didn't interfere? If we didn't get there when we did?! You would've started war! A war with the fucking Awoken over some petty insult!"

Asura roughly pushed him off, "Petty? Is that all you think it is? Some childish spat?"

"Whatever you feel it is, it was no reason to start using your abilities against a normal person!"

"How else do expect me to respond? Just roll over and take it? I don't work like that, Aro!"

"But you, Asura, don't go around killing people! Asura lets any stupid insult slide off his back. Asura would never bring himself to kill an innocent man. But you weren't Asura out there today. You were a monster. You were Wrath!"

"INNOCENT?!"Asura scoffed and stepped closer, eyes narrowed in disbelief, "YOU'RE DEFENDING HIM?!"

"NO, I AM NOT!" Aro roared back.

"That's enough, both of you!" Crona finally cut in. The tension could be cut with a knife.

Aro's shoulders were heaving but he berated himself for letting his temper slip like that. He breathed to calm himself down, "Asura will be kept an eye on. Corin is being demoted and punished. That's all I know."

"Awfully forgiving of her," Crona muttered, "I suggest we not waste it."

Asura made a disgusted noise.

Crona turned to Aro, "We have a job?" She asked.

"On Venus. I haven't gotten the specifics yet but we leave soon." He gave one more look to Asura before saying, "We're done here."

The others quickly began to leave the room. Aro stayed behind, "We'll speak with the Vanguard to see what will be done after this. Gear up and be down in fifteen. That's an order," he muttered before closing the door.

" _Some friend you have here huh?"_ Wrath snarled to Asura when the door closed. His arms were almost vibrating with rage as he walked to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror, " _Wouldn't even stand up for you."_

" _You almost killed someone! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"_ Asura was screaming at him. The magnitude of what Wrath almost did; what he was using Asura's own hands to commit had yet to leave him.

"He deserved it," Wrath whispered. He suddenly shot up, "He deserved it! They all do. People never change. From planet to planet across time and space, _people_ _never fucking change!"_

Wrath put his head in his hands, "But I will not go through this again. I can't. I refuse to!"

" _What the hell are you talking about? Go through what again?!"_ Asura roared.

Wrath didn't answer.

He calmed himself and reached out with his mind. The response was quick. As if he was expected.

" _Have you made your decision?"_ The voice from before asked softly.

Wrath closed his eyes and opened them again, staring at the blood red spheres that glared back at him.

" _I've made my decision. Meet me on Venus."_

" _Will Arochukwu be with you?"_

" _Yes, he will."_

The smile could almost be heard, " _Then I can find you just fine,"_ The voice hummed contently before the connection severed.

Wrath sighed, "I will not die for people who hate me," he said, repeating himself from before, "Not again."

* * *

"He'll be here soon," Crona said, watching Aro pace back and forth.

"He had better be," Aro growled in response.

"You were a bit hard on him, you know."

"I wasn't hard enough."

"He's just been going through a lot-"

"No, Crona," Aro cut her off, "Don't you dare defend his actions."

"I'm not defending him, Aro," she said curtly, "I'm just saying. You know I'm right."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes, finally dropped down next to her.

"What do you think the Vanguard will do?" she asked softly.

"I honestly don't know. They can't remove him from the clan; he knows too much. They'll probably demand he be sent back to the City. Maybe even replace him with one of the others."

"I hope they go easy on him. I'm worried."

"I am too. I should've known Wrath(A) would start seeping into his personality. It was only a matter of time," Aro breathed, "And about Corin…"

The door leading to the Vestian Hangar suddenly opened, cutting Aro off. Asura walked in without a word. His helmet was on, his hood was up and he stalked past Aro and Crona to his ship without a word to either.

Aro should've expected as much. They both needed some time to cool down. Hopefully, the trip there and back would suffice. Aro got up and walked into his ship, his Ghost automatically activating the controls.

"Kain, did they send the specifics of the mission?"

"It just came in. We're simply to go to Ishtar Academy and investigate any alternative was into the Archives. Nothing big"

Aro frowned, confused, "Anything that would've been there has probably been taken by the Fallen or the Vex. No one else has found anything of note."

"I guess they're sending us on the off chance that something has been missed?"

"Alright. But I still think we should wait for Tarlowe to find something. His father got in. We just need to figure out how."

Aro's ship took off into the outer airspace of the Reef. Once the others had joined him, the engines fired at full power, sending them hurtling through the void of space.

The trip to Venus was silent; awkward. Crona only spoke to ask questions about the mission. Asura didn't even turn on his comms.

Kain appeared in front of Aro suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts, "Why do you think Rasputin won't just tell Kayla how to get in?"

"I feel like he is. Just in his usual roundabout and confusing way," Aro shrugged, "Remember how he revealed the Heralds to us?"

"By sending three rookies against the machine god of the House of Devils?"

Aro laughed softly, "Exactly."

"Do you think it would be as one sided now as it was then?" Kain then asked.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. We had help."

"I remember. Let's hope we don't need that help again for this."

Just as Kain finished, the ships broke out of warp space and the hazy green sphere that was Venus suddenly came into view. The ships entered the dense atmosphere, flying over an expansive array dark green mountain ranges and forests before coming down into an empty valley like area called the Headlands.

The ships stopped at the transmat point to let their passengers go before jetting back off into orbit.

"Where's the Ishtar Academy?" Asura muttered lowly, speaking for the first time in hours.

Kain summoned Aro's Sparrow, "To the right down here. Just follow me."

The trip to the Shattered Coast was as quiet and awkward as the trip to Venus. Aro struggled to push it to the back of his mind but he could feel Asura glaring holes into his back.

The quiet ride was cut short when they were suddenly set upon by Fallen from the House of Winter, waiting for prey from behind the multiple car wreckages littering the area. Aro fired the Sparrow engines and threw himself off. The Sparrow kept going, mowing down any Fallen unfortunate enough to be in its way.

Aro rolled with the fall and managed to land on his feet, launching a small cluster of Void explosives at the biggest group he could see. Most of the Fallen were killed. Crona and Asura quickly neutralized the stragglers.

"We should walk the rest of the way," Crona suggested, "We might not get so lucky next time and Fallen are all over the area."

"Agreed," he said. From where they were, Aro could see multiple Winters crawling around a destroyed station. After further walking and a bit more fighting, they reached a large building with a tunnel leading underground.

"Should be just through here," Aro said, feet wading through the muddy water. Low light from left over Golden Age generators let the area only slightly illuminated. If it wasn't for their armor, the possibility of exposed wires would have kept them out water. Aro could feel the sparks hitting his legs.

Finally, an opening at the end of the tunnel. Aro trudged through the stagnant water and into the Ishtar Academy. Shelf after shelf lined the edges of the Academy; Golden Age knowledge lost to humanity with the only remaining copies imprisoned in the Archives. At the center of the Academy was a statue of an angel, crumbling away slowly after being neglected for so long.

" _Amazing,"_ Kain whispered in Aro's head as they took a good look around. Aro was inclined to agree. The view almost distracted him from the static he felt dancing across his armor.

"We've got Vex incoming!" Kain warned to all of them. Aro quickly moved back towards the tunnel opening with Crona. Asura, however, didn't budge from his spot near the statue.

"Asura, what are you doing? Get back!" Crona yelled.

Asura's shoulders sagged. "That is not my name," he muttered so softly, he could barely be heard through the radio.

But they heard him all the same. Crona blinked, "His voice…"

"Wrath?" Aro asked. The static clouds started to dissipate, revealing a plethora of Vex with their weapons aimed at them.

From the entrance on the other side of the Academy came a sound that resembled heavy stomping. The Vex closer to the sound, lowered their weapons and stepped to the side, bowing almost reverently. The thuds got louder.

"Wrath," Aro said again, voice nearly quaking in fear. The current Wrath, the former Titan regarded him as he regarded everything; with a red eyed glare cold enough to stop a heart. Aro fought against every instinct to jump for Asura and drag him backwards, knowing that it would set the Vex off.

"What are you doing here?" Crona's voice was low with fear.

"I'm here to pick someone up," Wrath(K) rumbled lowly. It was not lost on Aro that this was the first time he had heard Wrath's voice.

"Pick what up? What are you talking about?" Aro demanded.

"Put two and two together, Aro," Wrath(A) spoke louder this time, "He's here for me."

Aro felt the heat leave his body? "What? No! You're not taking him!"

Wrath(K)'s right eye narrowed. An imitation of a raised eyebrow.

"Do you hear me?" Aro asked angrily, "You're not stealing him from us!" Solar Light started to flicker around Aro's body; weak and harmless now, but fully prepared to become a raging firestorm with a thought. He could hear Crona's Force Barrier hum into existence behind him.

"No one is stealing me at all. Quite the opposite actually," Wrath(A) lowered his hood and turned to face his team. He grabbed both sides of his helmet and twisted, causing the locks to disengage. Wrath(A) pulled it off and threw it off to the side, causing it to land with a bang that seemed loud in the deafening quiet.

Crona's Barrier disappeared as she lost concentration. Aro's arms fell to his sides as his flames died down.

Asura's pink eyes were gone. Replaced with the red Aro constantly saw in certain dreams. The ones where a seventh Herald had somehow replaced Gluttony and was constantly trying to kill him.

Crona was the first to regain her voice, "I…I don't understand. Asura-"

"Asura's time abusing _my_ body has finally run out," Wrath(A) said, starting to pace slowly. "No more impossible fights. No more going after monsters to relieve _your_ guilt in destroying _your_ world!" Wrath(A) pointed at Aro.

The accusation stung Aro just a bit, "But you've fought alongside is before! Against them!" he argued, gesturing to Wrath(K) who watched the proceedings quietly.

"I fought to survive! I never asked for this!" Wrath(A) roared, fists clenching tightly, "I should've figured it out before. There is no beating the Heralds. They have existed since the birth of both the Darkness and the Light and they have never been beaten. You and your band of death wishers may believe you have a chance but believe me when I tell you that you do not. Not one chance in hell!"

"So that's it?" Crona stepped closer, "You're fully willing to condemn every living being here to the Darkness? As long as you live, it doesn't matter."

"Why should I fight and die for people who hate me, huh? This isn't my home! These aren't my people!" Wrath(A) stopped in his pacing and sighed, "My own planet was the same. You heard Diana. We didn't even get names back then. We were built solely to serve, from fighting wars against our own brethren to being killed and ripped apart for entertainment. And to make it worse, we were expected to be grateful! Reverent to our 'parents' to the point of blindly accepting abuse!"

Wrath(A) paused to calm himself, "But Pride, _my_ Pride, he gave me a name. A name, a purpose and a renewed sense of dignity. That's why I joined him. That's why I turned against my own planet. That's why I went to Base Seven and I _wiped it clean!"_

Aro was beyond horrified. Wrath(A)'s feelings on the genocide he committed against his own planet clashed so harshly with Asura's guilt that he could barely believe that both thoughts were coming from the same mouth.

"Spirit?" Crona called for Asura's Ghost, "Spirit, can you hear me?!"

"The Ghost isn't going to answer you, so don't bother," Wrath(A) turned around, "And neither will Asura. Touching the Sword allowed me to…switch places with him, so to speak. He can now see what it feels like to be trapped in his own mind like I was.

"Wrath. We need to leave," Wrath(K) rumbled and began walking closer.

"Fine. I've answered your questions. I owe you that much," Wrath(A) muttered, "We're done here."

Wrath(A) started back walking towards Wrath(K). "Aro?" Crona whispered desperately. He didn't answer. He was staring at the ground and his arms were shaking, "Aro, what do we do? They're gonna take him!"

At that, Aro's head shot up. He charged forward, kicking up dust in his wake. The Vex reacted, weapons up and firing in an instant.

Aro roared in rage and exertion, willing a giant storm of fire to burst out from him. The nearest of the Vex were incinerated immediately. The rest were blasted backwards away from the epicenter. Aro retook control of the flames that had yet to dissipate and brought them over his head and down towards Wrath(K), who stood right where he was despite the giant fireball bearing down on him.

Suddenly, a sharp, blinding pain flashed in Aro's chest and back, causing him to freeze in his tracks. He meekly looked down to see a shimmering blue blade piercing his armor. He looked back up at Wrath(A), whose face was mere inches from his own and was the holder of the blade piercing through Aro's chest and back.

Aro's arms fell limply at his sides. He lost control of the flames; more due to surprise than pain. He felt blood drip from the corners of his mouth.

"A-Asura…," Aro stuttered, fluid bubbling in his throat. He lifted a shaky hand to touch his friend's face.

Wrath(A)'s eyes widened in rage. He roughly yanked the blade from Aro's chest. Aro felt his legs give out but before his knees could touch the ground, Wrath(A) pointed a pistol to Aro's forehead and pulled the trigger.

" _ARO!"_ Crona screamed in horror, running forward. Aro fell backwards, dead before he could hit the ground.

Crona caught him, immediately putting herself between his Ghost and the two Wraths. Wrath(K) touched Wrath(A)'s shoulder and in the span of a blink, they disappeared from sight.

Crona looked down at Aro's unmoving body, the hole in his visor still smoking. Through the crack, Crona saw the tears from his dead eyes mix with the dark blood running down from his forehead.


	20. Abandon No One

_Abandon No One_

* * *

"You done eating?" Daniel muttered, "They'll be back soon."

"Waiting at the door for your husband, huh? Ha! He really has made an honest man out of you," Erek paused in shoveling food in his mouth to laugh.

"So you've got jokes now?" Daniel chuckled.

"I've had jokes for years. I've just got to be in my happy place."

"Around food?"

"Around food."

Daniel was about to respond when a hand landed on his shoulder. "C'mon, they're pulling in," Kayla said, turning and walking towards the entrance. Daniel stood to follow her while Erek messily wolfed down the rest of his food before jogging to catch up.

They reached the Hangar door and were greeted by the sight of Aro and Crona. Both looked like they were about to be sick.

Daniel's lightheartedness disappeared almost instantly, "Aro? Crona?" Is something wrong?"

No answer.

"Where's Asura?" Kayla asked, looking behind them.

Aro's already wide eyes became even wider. Crona's fists started trembling and blood started to seep from where the fingers dug into the palm.

"Woah, woah," Erek rushed over and forced her hand open. The bloody wounds started to close over almost immediately.

"Did something happen? Is Asura alright?" Daniel grabbed Aro's shoulders, shaking him slightly.

Aro looked up at him, opening his mouth to speak but unable to produce the words.

"Wrath(A) has retaken his body and shoved Asura to the recesses of his own mind," a voice suddenly called out. Aro's head snapped up and they all looked behind him to see Diana briskly walking up to them. The Exo's voice was calm and even as it always was. But her blue eyes were narrowed in anger, "He's joined the Heralds. Your friend has betrayed you."

* * *

All six of them had retreated to Aro's room. Aro and Crona had explained the entire story. Daniel was pacing. Erek was running his hands through his hair, quietly cursing. Kayla seemed stunned.

"I-I don't get it," Daniel stopped in his pacing, huffing angrily, "He touched the Sword and that let Wrath(A) take over?"

"Yes," Diana said. She was in the far corner, leaning against the wall, "I've been wondering how he has been able to unconsciously keep someone as strong as Wrath(A) at bay. It seems that the answer was his connection to the Light. Touching the Sword resonated with the lingering Darkness inside him and let them switch places."

"What of his Ghost?" Erek asked.

"I'd assume Wrath(A) is holding it down. That and it refuses to abandon its Guardian. Now he's a Herald with the full abilities and immortality of a Guardian. He's much more of a threat."

Crona turned to Aro, "Sloth. Do you remember how he was acting? The second Asura got the Sword, he backed out. That's not the type of person he is."

"You think…"

"Yeah," she muttered, "They planned this."

"And we walked right into it," Aro groaned, pulling his knees to his chest, "We walked Asura right into it."

"I tracked them. The Vault of Glass seemed to be their destination."

Aro's stomach turned, "The Vault? Why there?!"

"I was wondering if you knew," Diana said cooly.

"It's where Kabr died and it's the stronghold of the Vex on Venus but that's it. I have no idea what their purpose for being there is."

We should…we should call the Vanguard," Kayla whispered after a few minutes of silence.

Aro sighed and stood up, trudging over to the terminal, "Kain. Call them."

The connection took a few long, apprehensive minutes to go through. It was Commander Zavala's face that appeared on screen. Crona let out a small whine from behind Aro.

"Aro, everyone. It's good to see you all." The Commander then frowned, "I don't see Asura."

"I…that's what we wanted to talk to you about," Aro explained. Zavala frowned even deeper and pushed his hand forward. His image shifted backwards and Ikora and Cayde appeared on screen. He had moved the transmission from his personal terminal to the middle of the meeting table.

"Is there a problem, Zavala?" Ikora asked, looking up from what she was reading.

"Yeah, kinda in the middle of something here," Cayde straightened up from his old map and stretched his back.

Zavala gestured towards Aro to speak and all eyes were on him. Aro had to force the words out, "Asura…he's been taken. By the Heralds."

Zavala's eyes went wide with rage, "What? How?!"

"Explain everything," Ikora commanded sternly.

Aro let out a slow breath and started, "The Queen sent us on a mission to the Moon. The Sword of Crota had just reappeared for what we thought was no reason. She sent my team after it. When we got there, Sloth was waiting for us."

Cayde's hand squeezed tightly into a fist and subtly trembled.

"We fought Sloth. Tried to drive him back but we just barely could. Asura grabbed ahold of the Sword to use as a weapon and that's when he started acting weird. He fought Sloth with the Sword and drove him back. The Sword shattered after,"

Cayde started shaking his head, "No, Sloth backed out? That makes no sense."

"You knew Andal, Cayde, not Sloth. And Sloth is everything we thought we knew about Andal but didn't," Ikora said.

"Still, Andal wouldn't back out of a fight so easily!"

"You said the Sword reappeared for what you thought was no reason," Zavala cut in, silencing any further arguments, "Did you find out a reason?"

"We think they put it there deliberately. Got us to come with the Sword and then made sure it was Asura who touched it," Aro said.

Cayde shook his head, "I'm a bit confused. What does the Sword of Crota have to do with Asura?"

Aro paused, unsure for a second and then answered, "Touching the Sword seemed to let Wrath(A) take control and force Asura to the back of his own mind. Wrath(A) left with Wrath(K) when we were sent on a mission to Venus."

"So he wasn't actually taken?" Ikora said.

"I…no. He's switched sides," Aro's voice become sullen, "Said he refuses to fight for a losing side. Especially a side who doesn't respect him as a person."

Cayde eyes narrowed, "What happened over there?"

Aro was taken aback by his sudden seriousness, "What do you mean?"

"Did something happen to him on the Reef?!" Cayde suddenly yelled angrily. Even Zavala and Ikora seemed surprised now. Cayde sighed, "Do you think that's the first time I've heard that exact phrase? I can't tell you the number of young Exo Guardians who have come to me feeling the same way. Why should they fight for people who hate them?!"

Cayde rolled his shoulders and stepped slightly away from the screen, attempting to calm himself down, "It's always worse for us Risen, like Asura, Jessie and even me. Revived from death, against our will to fight and we can't even get basic respect from the people we fight and die for," he closed his eyes and sighed, "What happened?"

Aro squeezed his hands together, fidgeting under Cayde's intense glare, "Asura, or Wrath(A) I guess, got into a fight with an Awoken soldier over being insulted. Wrath(A) almost killed the soldier if we hadn't interfered."

"What was the insult?"

"Called him a 'thing', I believe. A 'machine'. Wrath(A) didn't take it well."

Cayde laughed bitterly, "See now, there's the problem. It's never just an insult. When aimed at people like us, it always has weight behind it. Hate to say it but while I don't agree with Wrath(A)'s methods, I understand his anger."

"Anything else?" Zavala demanded, "What about his Ghost?"

"We believe Wrath(A) is restraining it. Keeping it from doing much but reviving him and healing his injuries." Aro said.

"I see. Anything else you'd like to add?"

"No. No sir," Aro answered, hesitating on what he actually wanted to ask.

Zavala prepared to cut the transmission, "Then if that's all-"

"Wait!" Aro said, a bit loudly.

"Yes?" Zavala asked patiently.

"I…We figured out he was taken into the Vault of Glass. I'd like authorization to go in there after him."

"Absolutely not," Ikora said without any hesitation.

Aro's heart dropped, "But we can't just abandon him!"

"You didn't abandon him. He abandoned you."

"Asura is innocent in all of this!" Crona stomped closer to the screen.

"To be honest, you two, does it matter?" Cayde asked, "No one goes through the Vault of Glass and leaves alive. We lost some of our best to it. We lost Kabr! You wouldn't live long enough to get to him. Innocent or not, he's theirs now. My answer is no too."

Tears started to well in Crona's eyes, "Father, please!" Her voice cracked with emotion.

Zavala closed his eyes and let out a long breath, "I'm sorry, Crona. It's much too risky. And we can't lose all of you too. No is our final answer. I'm sorry. Asura is lost to us."

Crona swiveled away from the terminal, heading for the door and leaving the room. After a second's hesitation, Kayla got up and went after her. Aro couldn't bring himself to move.

Zavala watched her go, his eyes filled with grief and guilt. Ikora's eyes were closed and her mouth was a hard line. Cayde simply stared at the ground, avoiding Aro's stunned expression.

"Keep us posted," Zavala murmured roughy. The communication cut and the room filled with nothing but the sound of Crona quietly sobbing in the hallway.

* * *

Zavala bent over the desk, propped up by his outstretched arms, staring at his feet.

Ikora opened her mouth to speak, "Zavala-"

"I'm fine," he cut her off roughly.

"No. You're not," she murmured in response. She closed the book she was reading softly, "I'm not either. I'm going to go inform Shaxx. He should hear this personally. Cayde, send a message out to the rest of the Will of Light clan. Zavala, you should-"

He straightened up, "The Speaker. I'll inform him personally," he didn't wait for their response before trudging out of the Hall.

The Speaker was never very far, always cooped up in his personal library. Away from…everything. Zavala envied him at times.

"Did you see her face, Zea?" Zavala murmured to his Ghost, "I could see the second her heart broke. The second _I_ broke it."

"You didn't have much choice. As a commander or a father. You made the right choice."

"Did I?" He asked softly before reaching the stairs that led up to the Speaker. The masked man was talking quietly with his Ghost. The Speaker straightened up fluidly upon seeing him, "Zavala. Is something the matter? I could hear the emotions from across the Tower."

Zavala squared his shoulders, "Sometime ago, the Queen of the Reef sent Fireteam Aro on a mission to the Moon to find and obtain information about the Sword of Crota."

"Ah, yes. I sensed it when it reappeared on the Moon," the Speaker said.

"They were intercepted by Sloth who tricked Asura into touching the Sword. We don't know how but it allowed Wrath(A) to take control. It seems to have been deliberate because Wrath(A) left with Wrath(K) for the Vault of Glass on his own free will."

The Speaker was quiet for a long time. He then sighed and asked, "How is his team taking this?"

The Titan looked down, "Not well. They wanted to go after him and we denied them."

"That's good."

"I…you believe I made the right call then?" Zavala asked.

The Speaker waved a finger at the bookshelf next to him and one of the books floated down to his hand, "Osiris put the idea of the Vault of Glass within Kabr's and Pahanin's head. He made them believe that, as strong as they were, that just the two of them could conquer Hell itself. Kabr was killed. Pahanin went insane and Osiris was beside himself with shame and grief for a very long time. It was because of that one mistake Osiris imposed the rule of Fireteams. All Guardians must be apart of one. I would hate to see you send your daughter to the same fate."

Zavala kept quiet, still staring at the ground.

"Do you remember Osiris' theory about the First Three? Three exceptional wielders of the Light, who could end this war once and for all? Part of Osiris' grief was the thought that he had sent one of them, Kabr, to his permanent end and in so doing, doomed the world."

"I remember. But he realized he was wrong about Kabr, didn't he?"

"He did. And so did I. But now I feel that one of the three is among us."

"Aro. Do you really believe Osiris was right and that Aro is one of those people?"

"It is much too soon to tell. But he is certainly exceptional. I'd rather not lose him and then find out my suspicion was correct. As difficult as it must have been, Zavala, you made the right call."

* * *

"I can't…they would just abandon him. Just like that. Like he's nothing to them. To us," Aro murmured to himself. Crona and Kayla had come back into the room and she was laying down in the bed. He could hear the occasional sniff coming from behind him.

A strong hand landed on his shoulder, "Are you alright?" Daniel asked.

The tears that had been threatening to fall finally did, "No. I'm not," Aro shook his head. A strangled sob broke through his lips. Daniel knelt down next to his chair, pulling Aro's head into his shoulder.

For the first time in a long time, Aro cried. The room filled with the sound of his quiet sobs. Erek had sat down on the floor against the wall, head in his hands. Kayla sat next to Crona, who had started crying again. Even Diana's usually cool calculating demeanor seemed gone. As much as she hated Wrath(A), she couldn't help but feel for them.

Daniel picked up Aro's head in both his hands, wiping the streaks of tears away with his thumbs and placing his forehead against Aro's, murmuring ultimately empty words of comfort.

Aro drew in a deep breath and slowly lifted away and shook his head. Daniel opened his eyes, "What is it?"

"No. I-I can't. I can't leave him, Daniel," Aro said weakly, "I can't. He's my brother. I can't let him go."

"But the Vanguard-"

Aro leaned in close, glaring Daniel in the eye, " _Fuck the Vanguard."_

Daniel was stunned into silence. Aro stood, letting Daniel's hand fall away. "I'm going after Asura, Daniel."

"What?" Daniel stood up as well, "Aro, I know you're grieving but did you not hear them?"

"I don't care," Aro growled stubbornly.

"I do! I can't just let you walk in there by yourself. You'll die!"

Aro laughed bitterly, "Would that be such a bad thing?"

"Aro…"

"Think about it!" Aro suddenly yelled out, raising his arms, "Wrath(A) was right. We're losing this fight. It took everything we were capable of to kill one Herald and they just replaced him. But there's one surefire way to end this once and for all."

"Aro, stop. Stop talking like that. Please," Daniel's voice cracked.

Aro took his hand and pulled him closer, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry but I can't leave him behind. I have to try."

"But you'll die," Daniel said tearfully.

"No," Crona said, sitting up and standing up off the bed, "He won't die if someone is watching his back. I'm going too. Asura's my family too." All traces of sadness was gone from her face, leaving behind nothing but fury and determination.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Aro said, "My mind is set."

Daniel sighed and nodded his head slowly, "Alright. I'll go too. If anything, to make sure you get in and out safe," he turned to Kayla and Erek, who was now standing, "I can't force you two to go with us. It's practically suicide."

Erek chuckled lightly, "Nothing new to us. And you don't have to force us."

"Not at all," Kayla affirmed.

Aro was surprised, "So…"

"We'll go. The more of us, the better," Kayla said.

"I'm curious," Diana spoke up for the first time in a long while, "How do plan to even get through? Or even inside? I've seen your gear and your leaders are right, you would not survive."

"Tarlowe," Daniel breathed.

"Who?"

"My older brother. He found some research my father had on the Vault of Glass. It has to have something in there that can help us. He's just struggling to unlock it. But he's making headway."

"As for gear, we know a guy," Aro said, "Sells the best gear for a certain price."

"And training?"

"I can handle that. But it would require a favor from my sister," Erek responded.

She looked at each of them and shook her head, "I hope you know what you're getting into. I'll keep in touch." She was gone from the room in the span of a blink.

"We'd have to move carefully, you know. This whole plan is shot if the Vanguard find out," Crona reminded them.

"Then we give them no reason to suspect anything," Aro sighed and rubbed his face tiredly, "Go. Get some rest. We'll start soon."

After some hesitation, Erek, Kayla and Crona filed out. Daniel gave Aro's shoulder a squeeze before walking towards the bathroom. The door closed and Aro heard a weight push on it. Daniel must have been leaning against the door, mentally exhausted. Aro couldn't blame him.

Taking advantage, he left the room and stood in an empty dark hallway. He opened his mind and bared his Light, allowing it to reach out. "I know you're watching us Xûr. I can feel you."

As expected, one of the shadows to the left of him shifted. Dull yellow eyes appeared in the pitch black, followed by an array of strange tentacles floating out of a black hooded robe, as if floating in the vacuum of space.

"I was wondering when we'd speak again, Warlock," Xûr murmured, cautiously moving closer.

Aro got straight to the point, "You heard everything so you know what we're planning."

"Ah, yes. The mutiny," he wheezed a slight laugh.

"Call it what you want. We need gear."

"And as you said, I can provide it. For the right price."

The Coin was in Aro's hand with nothing but a thought, "This, correct?"

Xûr reached out for it but it disappeared, causing him to shrink back and growl in anger, "There is a large cache them. Winter's Run. Stronghold of the Venus House of Winter."

"You can't get it yourself?" Aro asked.

"Why risk my life when I can risk yours?" Xûr asked back, "The Queen will give you full sanction."

Aro frowned, "How do you know what the Queen will do?"

"Because the Fallen are moving. They've found the Prison," he rasped before slowly crawling back towards the shadows.

"Prison? What prison?" It was too late. Xûr was gone.

Kain appeared over Aro's shoulder, "He might have meant the Prison of Elders."

Aro sighed before turning back to his room, "Whatever. As long as it helps us. I won't leave my friend to those monsters."

* * *

 _Did I do the feels right? Felt like I should work on I that. If not, don't worry, plenty other chapters to practice on_


	21. Shrine of Oryx

_Shrine of Oryx_

* * *

"Good, you're all here." Aashir said as the last of the clan trudged through the meeting room doors, "I trust you received the news from the Vanguard?"

Silence for some time before Mira answered softly, "Yes, we did."

"As well as their instructions?" A bit of an accusing tone entered Aashir's hard voice.

Mira glared and nodded, "We understand. We won't go after him."

"Neither will we," Katrina said. Jessie, May and Sora were quiet. Shino looked as if they could pop a vein at any moment. A mix of different emotions from different people covered the entire room and the tension was palpable. It was clear that no one got enough sleep the night before.

Aashir gave the room one last narrowed look around before activating the panel, "The Vanguard has given us three top priority assignments on two planets. I was given authority to decide who goes where and I've already made my decisions."

The Moon popped up on the holographic screen first, "Fireteam Mira, we've located a massive Hive structure that seems to be giving off a signal that the Warlock Order has had trouble deciphering. All we know is that it's communicating with something."

"Do you know what that something is at least?" Mira mumbled.

"A god? A King? The structure's name translates to the 'Shrine of Oryx'," he answered, "We don't know much about Oryx except that in the Hive pantheon, he's more important than Crota. The first structure erected on the Moon by Crota himself was a temple in Oryx's name. It was destroyed in the Great Disaster."

The image of the Moon zoomed in on the Hellmouth, pinpointing a location. "Find it and destroy it. That's all you need to do. I trust you can manage destroying something?"

"We'll be fine; thank you for your concern," Mira sneered. She looked over to see a vein throbbing on Shino's temple. They needed to hurry before he burst out in lightning and fried every machine in the room.

The image of the Moon disappeared and was replaced by Venus. Two dots marked two locations. The "Ishtar Commons" and "Winter's Cove".

"Katrina, the Vanguard has had enough with the House of Winter's Kell interfering with Guardian work. You'll be taking him out."

Sora raised an eyebrow, "You're sending us after a Kell?"

"I trust three Rank Four's can handle a Kell. Besides, Draksis is weak and will probably be dethroned sooner or later. Kill him and we throw the House into chaos; lower the number of attacks on our scouts."

"Fine. Consider it done," Katrina nodded.

"The last one is for me, Aveline and Josef. The Nexus Mind is a powerful Vex burrowing deep into Venus. If Hidden Intel is correct, this is the kind of Vex Axis Mind responsible for turning Mercury into a machine. It seems Venus is next."

"Mercury only took a few days. Why is Venus taking so long?" May asked.

"Well it's much bigger for one. Then there's the House of Winters. Then there's us. And the Heralds themselves are probably taking over Vex minds and pulling resources away. Killing it would definitely slow them down even more. Maybe halt their efforts outright."

"When do we leave?" Mira asked.

"Today," the panel shut off and the lights came back on, "Your Ghosts have everything else you need." He dismissed them with a wave of his hand and nothing else. Shino was the first one out with Jessie on his tail. It was obvious they were taking this hard. Everyone was. They were just better at hiding it.

* * *

On her way to the Hangar, Mira found herself walking alongside Josef. The burly man only came up to her shoulder and was always easy to lose in a crowd. He nodded to her, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They walked only a few more feet before Josef spoke up, "You know, I'm surprised you didn't protest the Vanguard's decision to not go after Asura," he rumbled.

"Why? Orders are orders," Mira responded mechanically, as if she had to practice in a mirror.

The Will of Light clan tattoo on the side of his neck rippled as his jaw clenched, "Still. Doesn't feel right to leave one of our own behind."

Mira didn't trust herself to respond.

They were the last to arrive. The two said their goodbyes and left for their teams. Shino was leaning against the railing, arms crossed and glaring at the ground. May was watching the ships.

"If we're ready, then we can go," Mira said. May murmured a small "okay".

Shino just disappeared into his ship. Mira simply shook her head and disappeared into her own a second later.

* * *

The ships were cruising through space now. It would only be a short while until they reached their destination. The comms were completely silent, something Mira expected from May but silence from Shino worried her. He couldn't keep quiet. Not even in his sleep, according to Christine. The only other time he was ever so silent was after they had lost Marie.

Despite a voice in the back of her head telling her not to, Mira asked, "Is everything alright, you guys?"

Shino barked loudly and angrily, "Is that a serious question?!"

"Shino-"

"The Vanguard is just leaving Asura to those...those _monsters_ and we're just expected to fall in line and abandon him?!" He was yelling now, "And to make it worse, you and the other team leaders are just…going along with it!"

"So you just expect me to disobey orders on a whim?"

"It's not just a whim! It's for a good reason!"

"There always is until someone ends up dead!"

The sound of a book slamming shut rang through the comms, "That's enough both of you!" May commanded, "You can yell about this when we're done here."

Shino huffed in response. Mira let out a frustrated groan.

May sighed tiredly, "I found some old records about the Shrine of Oryx. This is a recording from the first Warlock Master, Osiris."

" _Every end crawls from the same pit, rising from the schism to swallow matter, Light, and life. It will not be stopped, but here it can be slowed. The Shrines of Oryx must be destroyed."_ The voice sounded worn; tired. As if the weight on his shoulders had aged him, an immortal man, too quickly and too deeply. Mira knew exactly why Osiris sounded the way he did. According to her Ghost, the recording had taken place after Kabr had died in the Vault of Glass and Pahanin had returned, mind ruined for what was probably forever.

Just hearing the man and thinking of the guilt he must have felt sending two friends into Hell itself made Mira slightly surer in her decision to follow the Vanguard's decision.

"I don't want to be like him, Khan," the Hunter whispered to her Ghost, "I couldn't handle the pressure;the guilt."

The ships slowed down, exiting warp space and bringing the Moon into full view. She had gotten over the apprehension she usually felt when coming here but Asura's disappearance was bringing back painful memories which caused her gut to twist.

She stood, grabbing a rubber band from the pile she kept in her ship and tying her light brown dreadlocks back, "Let's get this over with."

Her helmet appeared over her head. The trio of ships lowered to the Moon surface in the Hellmouth, dropping off its passengers before rocketing back into space. Shino refused to look at her.

"The Shrine is deeper into the Hellmouth than we've ever been," her Ghost explained, "The entrance is the Gatehouse, the same entrance Teams Aro and Daniel had used to enter the Summoning Pits and kill Gluttony."

Just as it said, the entrance to the Gatehouse was at the end of a small path down the hill they were atop of. Acolytes stalked around the entrance, keeping guard for visitors but a couple of Acolytes weren't a sturdy defense; they were bullet fodder and an alarm system for the rest of the Hive deeper inside.

"If we're all done sightseeing," Shino snapped, drawing her out of her thoughts as he started to trudge down the hill. May's shoulders dropped slightly before she started to follow him. As soon as they were close enough for the Hive to notice them, Shino hoisted his gun and began firing into the group. Most of the Acolytes managed to jump out of the line of fire but a few were still slammed against one of the pillars before dissolving into dust.

The Acolytes that had managed to escape and take cover on the sides were intercepted by Mira and May, who both quickly cut the last of them down. Shino continued into the fortress without a word to the others, the dust of the felled Hive crunching beneath his feet. Taking one of the metal orbs from his belt, Shino charged it with Arc Light before throwing it into the fortress. It landed in the middle of a group of Knights, bouncing once before detonating.

None of the Knights were killed by the explosion but they were all rendered completely blind. Mira quickly bounded forward and fired her Shotgun at one's head, knocking it clean off. She released the empty shell and turned at the waist, killing the one directly behind her. Just before she could move the finish the last one, a blast of fire slammed it into the wall, reducing it to ash. Seeing that the immediate danger was past, Mira attempted to take the time to reload her weapon but Shino was already heading for the exit.

"He really is pissed, isn't he?" Mira murmured only to May.

"What did you expect?" May responded, a slight edge in her voice.

"I don't know. I knew he liked Asura but I didn't know he cared this much."

"I actually don't know if he's more angry that Asura was taken or that you won't give him a reason as to why you're agreeing to abandon him."

"Look, I don't want to either but-" Mira started

"Orders are orders. Yes, I heard you the first time," May snapped. Her shoulders then fell, "I'm sorry. I know you mean well but I'm just tired. Haven't slept well since we got the news. Let's just get this done and leave." May left without waiting for a response, catching up with Shino who was leaning against the frame and turned away from the group.

Mira's Ghost suddenly spoke up, "Before you continue, I just wanted to warn you that I've been getting an abnormal amount of Fallen signatures down here. Something's got them worked up."

"Is it really our problem?" Shino muttered, "The Exiles were stupid enough to attempt to share this place with the Hive. They deserve what they're asking for."

"True but one of their Barons are here. Taking him out could deal a blow to the Fallen. He's on the way too."

Mira moved to the front, "Then let's go ahead and take care of it."

Moving farther into the Gatehouse proved Mira's Ghost right. Fallen Exiles were engaged in a wild shootout with the Hive.

"Too many," Mira said, "Fighting will just slow us down. Cut through them."

Mira charged down the center, ducking under a Fallen's arm and coming back up to drag a knife across its throat. She kicked the gurgling creature down before sinking her knife into an Acolyte's skull and tearing it away. Mira then brought up her Hand Cannon to eye level, closing one eye and firing at anything that entered into her sight. She chose to focus only on those closest to her. She wasn't the shot that Katrina was.

May and Shino soon joined her on the other side of the Gatehouse. They quickly ran through the next opening and through a tunnel filled with green crystals that provided a dim amount of light.

"It's close. Just up ahead," Mira's Ghost alerted them.

Mira spotted the Exile before it alerted them. Wordlessly, May and Mira moved along the opposite running pathways that encircled the area, letting Shino draw the Baron's attention. The maneuver had become second nature to them.

Crackling with Arc Light, Shino roared and charged the Baron. The Baron roared in return and started to fire his weapon. The other Fallen accompanying the Baron attempted to enter the fight only to be quickly and quietly cut down by Mira and May.

Shino had soon injured the Fallen Baron, knocking him backwards. The Fallen scrambled back to his feet, throwing away its Shrapnel Launcher and brandishing two Shock Blades. The Baron turned around to check on his allies only to see May and Mira walking up from behind, leaving a trail of slain Exiles.

Mira couldn't help but frown at the look of helplessness that flashed across his face. He was alone. He would die alone at the non-existent mercy of his worst enemies.

This was the worst time for Asura to flash across her mind.

The Golden Gun appeared in her hand; the Baron tensed.

"I'll make it quick. I promise," she murmured, knowing the Baron probably couldn't understand. She brought up the Gun quicker than the Baron could react and shot him point blank in the head.

The Baron made no sounds of pain as it disappeared to ash. Mira had kept her promise. She blinked the tears back; this wasn't the time.

"Let's go," she commanded, walking towards the exit. Shino looked at her before nodding and following behind. May took one last look at the dead Fallen and the dropped Shrapnel Launcher before joining them.

* * *

The last of the Acolytes finally went down. None of them knew what to expect when it came to the Shrine but it wasn't this.

The thing was the size of a house; a glowing, spinning black sphere floating over some kind of pedestal.

"Get one of us in close," Mira's Ghost said, "The other two should stand guard. Someone is going to want us to answer for tampering with their shrine."

"May and Marie, go," Mira ordered, "Shino, cover that door. I'll cover the entrance."

May walked under the Shrine; the vision of her helmet going fuzzy from the energy radiating out. She let her Ghost, Marie, out. It immediately started tampering with the green light source.

"Here's hoping we don't get sucked into some tran-dimensional vortex," Marie joked.

May smiled, "Has that happened before?"

"Ask me again after today." Suddenly, the Shrine whirred down and after a few seconds of silence, the Shrine kicked back up.

"May, Marie, why is it spinning in reverse?" Mira asked

"I've set it to start breaking down," May's Ghost answered, "Just need a few minutes."

The entire chamber suddenly rocked, almost throwing May off balance. The doors in front of Shino slow crawled open and the signature scream of Hive Thralls echoed through. A flood of them ran through the gate, followed by the biggest Knight any of them had ever seen.

Shino, by himself, faltered for only a second before switching to his Machine Gun. With a roar, he let loose; the blaze of the gun lighting up the entire area.

The Knight fired its Boomer in response. The abnormally large projectile knocked Shino off his feet. Taking advantage, the Knight ran forward. Shino could only watch as the Knight lifted its foot over him and brought it down.

A flash of light filled his vision and the scene suddenly changed. He was facing a wall and the Knight was too his left, a safe distance away. He recognized it. Someone had Blinked him away.

Mira lifted herself off of him, "You alright?"

"Yeah…yeah I'm fine," he grunted, "Thanks for the save. Despite how I've been acting."

"That has little to do with it but you're welcome," she said.

The Knight had noticed them and was already stomping over. Shino's Machine Gun reappeared in his hand and he fired, running away from Mira to draw its attention.

May was behind her without a word, "Plan?" She asked.

Mira pointed at the Shrine, "Can you get me up there?"

"Seems more like Shino's department but I can try." May ran for the Shrine, Mira waiting a few seconds before sprinting behind her. May took a knee and put her hands down. Mira dropped a foot into her palm and allowed herself to be boosted up to the lowest rung of the Shrine.

She latched onto the rung, careful not to touch the slinging black sphere. She jumped, bent the momentum around herself and jumped again, reaching the rung that was level with the Knight's head.

" _Khan, give me Truth," she commanded._

The navy blue Rocket Launcher appeared in her hand. She could already feel the Rank Five weapon pulling on her Light; hungry, itching.

Shino and May were running around the Knight's feet, making it chase them. Mira couldn't get a solid aim on the creature.

She didn't need to.

She fired and the Knight darted left in an attempt to catch the ting Warlock who just Blinked out from under its foot. The missile veered a sharp left, slamming into its head.

The drain in her Light was substantial but no longer enough to stagger her. Mira fired twice more, finally earning the creature's attention.

The Knight ran up to her as fired erratically. The Launcher disappeared from her hand and she launched herself at the monster. The explosion hitting the Shrine carried her forward until she landed on the Knight's face. It dropped its weapon and clawed at its face. Mira quickly clambered around to the side of its neck and held on like her life depended on it. Her Knife appeared in her hand and began to glow an electric blue. Taking only a moment to ready herself, she plunged the Arc Blade into its neck and pushed all the energy she had into it.

The Knight screamed and clawed at its neck. It fell back against one of the walls, knees becoming to weak to keep itself up. Mira tightened her grip to keep from falling and ran the blade through the front of its neck before ripping it out and falling to the ground, landing hard.

The Knight's head rolled limply. It dropped to its knees and finally fell with a resounding crash. Its head detached on impact and landed some distance away.

"The Shrine!" May's Ghost yelled, "It's destabilized! Shoot it!"

All three happily obliged. With each shot, the Shrine spun faster and glowed brighter before finally exploding. The force of it was enough to push them backwards but the danger was finally past. Finally, Mira relaxed.

She let out a long breath and slowly sat down in the ground, letting her head hang. All the thoughts that she had been holding back flew forward, unrestrained, and for a moment, she was overwhelmed.

May and Shino walked up behind her, saying nothing. Mira spoke instead, "Do you remember the first time we came to the Moon?"

"How could I forget?" Shino murmured.

"It was when you brought me home, right?" May asked.

"Yes. It was also my first time making any real decisions that impacted the team," Mira answered softly, "I wasn't leader. I was never supposed to _be_ leader. But I pressured Marie into answering the signal. And she paid for it. She paid for my mistake."

Shino and May said nothing. No matter how they felt, she was right.

"I don't regret saving you, May. And I'd want nothing more than to go after Asura and kill anyone who would try to harm him," the tears started to fall, "But I can't. I can't. What if something happens to you? I can't do it again."

May and Shino shared a look Mira sobbed quietly. Shino then slowly walked and sat down in front of her. He sighed, "I know you can't. And to be honest, for a time, I felt the same. I…I hated you for some time. I just wanted her back. But I thought more about it and I knew Marie would've gone anyway. Alone, if we refused to join. She was just that kind of person."

Mira chuckled tearfully. Shino shook his head, "C'mon, you know if you cry, I start crying too. Don't do this to me." He really sounded like he was close to tears himself.

Mira was laughing genuinely now. She stood and looked at May, the girl who their leader sacrificed her life and Light for, just standing there awkwardly, as if she didn't belong. May, who shared their grief for a girl she never knew. May, who rose through the ranks faster than any other Guardian in order to qualify to join their team. She had more than paid back Marie's sacrifice and Mira couldn't be prouder to call her a partner and a friend.

"If we go after Asura, there's a high chance we won't get out with our lives. You both understand that?" Mira asked.

"I know I'm not," May answered, "Because I'm not leaving without him. I'd die first."

"So would I," Shino stood, the clan mark on his chest shimmering in the dark. Mira laughed softly as she looked at it and brought her hand up to touch her own on the back of her neck. She knew what it symbolized; a single job that no one else could know about. But she never expected it to mean any more than that.

"Alright. Let's get home and get in touch with Aro and Crona. Find out what their planning."

"How do you know he's planning something?" May asked.

"It's Aro and Crona. I'd be surprised if they weren't planning something," she laughed.

May laughed with her and turned back to the Shrine, suddenly quiet.

"Something wrong?" Mira asked, concerned.

"Aashir said this thing was communicating with a powerful part of the Hive pantheon," she murmured, eyes still on the Shrine's empty pedestal.

"Yes?"

"They're gonna notice the drop in communication. I just feel that this is somehow gonna bite us in the ass someday."

Shino snorted in the background.

"I'm serious!" May yelled, indignant.

"2000 Glimmer says you're worrying about nothing and that we never have to come back here for anything major again," he challenged.

It was May's turn to snort, "Double that. I win either way."

* * *

 _Heheheeeeeh_


	22. Scourge of Winter

_About time I get to write more about this team. Sorry for the lateness. School +Writer's Block_

* * *

 _Scourge of Winter_

* * *

After a while, the six jumpships exited warp space; the dirty green glow of Venus filling their view. Team Aashir's ships wordlessly broke off from their formation, making for a different part of the Ishtar Sink.

Katrina silenced the music playing when her comms began buzzing. Her eyebrows raised when she saw it was Sora requesting a one on one.

"Yeah, Sora. Is there a problem?" she asked, making an attempt to keep the worry from her voice.

Sora made no such attempt, "Hey, it's about Jessie."

Katrina's mind flashed to the Exo Titan's recent behavior. Which means this actually had to do with Asura, "What about her?"

"You don't find it a bit strange she's been saying little to us?"

"She barely talks in general."

"She usually has plenty to say on missions. I'm sure it's because of this whole Asura-Wrath(A) mess."

"Yeah, I know. But the Vanguard gave us our orders and I plan to follow them," Katrina sighed, pushing the white hair from her eyes, "Remember, we're basically here in this clan so we'll keep quiet. You, me, Jessie; we have no real place here. We'll do what we're told but when it comes down to it, I see no reason we should die for this."

"You're right," Sora agreed unconvincingly after a short pause, "Still; breaks my heart to know that we'll never see him again." The comms shut off.

"Same," Katrina murmured before shaking her head. This wasn't her first enemy assassination but this was the biggest target she had ever been given. And just as she achieved Rank-IV status. This wasn't the time to be thinking of Asura and losing focus.

The ships were approaching their destination and started to slow down and descend. Katrina stood and checked her armor and weapons once more to ensure everything was in place. She removed her blade from its sheath, twirling it back and forth round her fingers, testing the balance before resheathing it. She didn't plan to use it much, preferring to keep her distance while Jessie and Sora, but mostly Jessie, wreaked havoc. Not for the first time, she wished she had Mira's talents with a blade and invisibility. She pulled the hood over her helmet the second it appeared.

The ships stopped above the transmat point in the Headlands. She let her Ghost, Ana, take her to the ground, landing silently. Behind her, a similarly quiet landing followed by what sounded like a large metal structure hitting the ground. The ships took back off into the sky, waiting for them in orbit.

Katrina looked behind her. Sora looked back. Jessie did not.

She took a deep breath, "Are we ready?" Both women nodded, "Then let's be off."

Ana summoned Katrina's Sparrow before her and they were off without another word. The path was wide enough to fit two Sparrows next to each other and as they reached the Ember Caves that the Fallen Winters usually guarded, Katrina began to slow down, letting Jessie and Sora take the front.

The Fallen heard the whine of the approaching engines, already retreating to cover. Katrina hopped off her Sparrow, took hold of her Sniper and ensured that two of them didn't make it. Most of the Fallen, including an intimidatingly big Captain, were atop an elevated platform. The large group included a pair of snipers but they had already fallen back when they saw Jessie and Sora approaching.

Together, Jessie and Sora threw themselves off of their Sparrows, using the momentum to reach the platform. Jessie lifted herself high and dropped down onto a Shank, crushing it and kicking it away before it could explode under her. Not one to waste time, Jessie lifted up her Machine Gun and let loose into group of Fallen.

Letting Jessie take on the biggest group, Sora shot down any Fallen that managed to split off from the group while Katrina eliminated the snipers flanking them. More Fallen were coming up from behind them.

"Forget the Fallen!" Katrina commanded, "Into the cave!"

Both obeyed without question, jumping over or knocking down any Fallen that remained in their way. They reached the tunnel leading deeper into the cove and one by one, planted grenades around the opening as they passed. Sora placed two Fusion Grenades on the opposite walls, Jessie dropped a Lightning Grenade in the ground and Katrina jumped up, sticking a Tripmine to the ceiling.

The closest of the Fallen ran through the Tripmine's trigger and set it off, consequently setting off all the grenades. The explosion rocked the entire cove, causing the entrance to collapse loudly and kick up a giant cloud of dust.

Katrina dusted off herself, "It won't take them too long to clear that out. Let's be gone before they do."

"More Fallen ahead," Sora warned them, "Moving closer."

"We cut through them," Katrina ordered, raising her gun, "Let's move out."

* * *

As before, Jessie said nothing to either of them, pointedly putting some distance between herself and the rest of the group.

Making sure to keep any sound of annoyance out of her voice, Katrina asked, "Is something the matter, Jessie?"

"Nothing at all," the Exo said, completely deadpan.

"You haven't spoken since we left," Katrina continued, as they made their way through the still empty tunnel, "Is this about Asura and the Vanguard's decision?"

"I expected as much from them," Jessie snarked, "What I didn't expect you two to go along with it so easily."

"You expected differently?" Katrina stopped.

"I expected _better_." Jessie stopped too.

"That's enough-" Sora started.

"How many times do we have to go over this?" Katrina asked disbelieving, "We aren't here because we're 'needed'. We're here to be kept quiet!"

Sora sighed, "You know she's right, Jessie."

The Titan just let out a disgusted noise and shook her head, trudging on.

Finally, they left the cove and returned to the open air. The sight they were greeted with was breathtaking.

" _A Ketch!_ " Katrina's Ghost said, " _It must belong to the House of Winter. I've never seen one on the surface. The Kell's gotta be inside._ "

Katrina was less impressed by the size and more by the fact that something so massive could hide so easily. The Fallen Ketch was anchored over the sulfurous river running through the valley between volcanoes.

"Ana says the Kell's inside," Katrina told the others as they moved slowly towards a ledge overlooking the area.

"His guard is here too," Sora said, "They must have moved closer to their Kell once they heard we were coming."

Katrina quickly counted their numbers. A lot. She switched to her Sniper, "You too will go down and barrel through, drawing their attention. I'll pick off as many as I can from here. When I run out, I'll join you. Hopefully, we'll have thinned their numbers enough."

Jessie and Sora took off down the hill towards where the Fallen were gathered. Katrina dropped herself onto her stomach, calmed her breathing and her mind, waiting for the signal to begin.

The signal came with a loud boom, followed quickly by a second one. Jessie had managed to slip a Magnetic Grenade onto one of the Fallen and catch it off guard. It was already dead by the first explosion; the second just sent its corpse flying into the air again.

Katrina quickly took aim at the Fallen nearest the stone bridge leading to the ship. She locked onto the Vandal, stilled her hands and fired.

The alien's head blew clean off. Spouting gas and Ether, the headless body twitched and dropped like a sack of rocks.

Wasting no time, Katrina moved to the next target, letting herself be lost in the trance. _Aim. Fire. Aim. Fire. Reload. Aim. Fire._

Once the more serious threats along the bridge had been handled, she moved towards the deck of the Ketch, preparing to give them the same treatment.

A looming presence suddenly fell over her and there was no time to guess what it could be. She called on the Light inside her, temporarily filled every part of her body with Arc Energy and shifted that energy to the right. Her body followed the shift, Blinking away from her original spot just as a Shock Blade slammed down where her back would have been.

"Guys, the Fallen made it through the cave in!" She warned the others as she ducked under another swipe from the blade wielding Vandal. Jumping back to avoid a third attempt, Katrina got as far away from the ledge as she could manage, back touching the mountain behind her. Her radar was detecting more Fallen on the way; this one was just the first.

Both Katrina and the Vandal stared each other down, doing nothing. Then Katrina took off in a sprint towards the Vandal. The Vandal ran at her, jumping forward in the hopes of finally cutting her down.

Katrina kicked up into the air, clear over the Vandal and flipped, rolling on the ground to maintain momentum. She kept running until she reached the ledge overlooking the steep drop into the river.

Then she jumped, used her Light to bend the momentum and jumped again, achieving just enough height to drop her off on the other side of the chasm. She shook her head to clear the aftershock of the jarring impact and took off for the ship behind her team, assuming that the Fallen were already on her tail.

"What now?!" Jessie yelled as she kicked one of the Fallen off of the ship and down into the chasm.

"Run and gun! We're out of time!" She ordered. Her Ghost gave her an Auto Rifle and she immediately shot at the Fallen coming up the ramp behind her, not even bothering to see who went down when she turned around and caught up with her team.

Fallen were spilling out of the ship in droves now. They knew such a high profile assassination couldn't remain quiet for long. They couldn't take them all on at once and they didn't need to. Sora jumped as high into the air as she could, violet sparks of Light dancing around her. She focused most of it into to her fist and threw her arms out in a wide arching motion towards the door where the Fallen were coming from, releasing three small Nova Bombs on top of the crowd.

The attack didn't kill everyone but it had managed to open up a path. Jessie took the opportunity to barrel straight through, covering herself in a Force Barrier, increasing her speed and brutally knocking down anyone unfortunate enough to get in her way.

They kept running, knowing they were being followed. Katrina and Sora kept on Jessie's heel as they frantically moved through the winding halls until they reached a slowly opening door. Left with no other alternatives, they went through.

* * *

The room was filled with Fallen. The Kell's Guard.

None had the baleful presence the one in the middle did. They might as well have not been there.

Draksis lifted himself from his massive throne, legs slamming the ground and shaking what was probably the entire Ketch. Beady eyes narrowed, masked mouth most likely snarling, the Kell of Winters regarded them with a coldness that could almost be felt physically.

Without warning, Draksis threw back his massive head and roared. The sound thundered throughout the entire starship, rattling the windows. Katrina had to fight the urge to put her hands to her helmeted ears and shut her eyes.

The Kell's Guard charged. Some scrambling across the ground, others jumping through the air to descend on the Guardians. All corners were covered; there was no way out. Katrina stopped fighting the urge to close her eyes and awaited the blades.

An sudden explosion knocked her several feet away, landing painfully on her side. Ears ringing, she quickly scrambled to her feet only to see the Fallen bodies scattered all over the throne room; some in pieces, most on fire, nearly all dead.

At the epicenter of the explosion, shoulders rising and falling with hard breaths that could be heard over the comms, stood Sora in a state of Radiance that was quickly flickering away. Jessie had been similarly knocked back as Sora had no time to warn them before she had pushed the Light from her body so forcefully. She groaned and fell to her knees, still breathing hard.

If Draksis wasn't angry before, he was now. He roared his thunderous roar again, raised a massive Shrapnel Launcher and fired at the downed Warlock. Jessie got to her first, willing her Force Barrier to life and putting herself between the blast and her teammate.

Katrina took the opportunity to pick her up and move her somewhere safe. She tried to stand up on shaky legs but soon dropped back down. Jessie kept the Kell's attention.

"I'm fine. I can fight," Sora coughed.

"Do you have a Sniper? A Scout Rifle?" Katrina asked, setting her down.

"Scout Rifle," she answered tiredly.

"Then provide fire from here. But stay out of the way." Despite the situation, Katrina smiled, "You did good."

Sora nodded, a Scout Rifle appearing in hand.

Katrina turned her attention back to the Kell, who had managed to knock Jessie backwards. All three of her weapons had run dry and she couldn't get just a few seconds to reload them. So, crackling with Arc Lightning, Jessie charged, jumped and slammed down on Draksis' chest, smashing him against and partially through the wall of the Ketch. Still on top of him, Jessie continued to strike at his face with lightning filled fists. The Kell quickly grew tired of it, grabbing the Titan with one massive claw and launching her to the other side of the ship.

Katrina cursed, before quickly rising to her feet, "Stay here!" She reminded Sora before quickly running towards Jessie, who was already getting to her feet.

Katrina quickly switched to her heavy weapon and fired. The missile slammed into Draksis' head, causing it to snap back and almost throw the Kell off balance. Katrina fired again and the Kell's body jerked with the impact. Around same time that Jessie reloaded her Machine Gun and let loose into the monster, Katrina reloaded her own Launcher and fired a third time.

Draksis moved backwards only slightly before roaring again and charging the Guardians head on. Both Jessie and Katrina barely managed to jump out of the way when the Kell went barreling into the steel wall. He swiped a large claw at Katrina, followed by another and another. Katrina moved back and Blinked away, doing everything she could to avoid being crushed. She unsheathed her knife and when the lower left arm came down towards her, the Arc Saber extended from the tip and she cut clean through the arm.

The severed limb dropped lifeless to the ground and the Kell screamed in an ear shattering mix of pain and rage. He lashed wildly out at her with his remaining three arms, finally catching her and slamming her hard enough to break the arm holding the knife.

Katrina felt nothing for just a second before the pain filled and nearly overwhelmed her mind. She fell over, twisting to avoid landing on the damaged arm while her Ghost tried to heal breaks in several different places.

She looked up through her haze to see the Kell coming towards her only to be rocked by a heavy fiery impact. Sora was on her feet again, sending blasts of Solar fire out in the hopes of drawing the Kell away from her. It didn't seem to be working. The Fallen was still bearing down on her.

Katrina quickly twisted off of her good arm and pushed the last reserves of her Light into the palm of her hand. The Golden Gun appeared, glowing bright with a fire that hurt everyone but her. She pushed until it became physically painful to do so and the weapon started shuddering in her hand.

The Kell was on top of her without warning, all but ignoring her teammates in favor of weakened prey. The Kell raised his remaining arms high above his head.

Katrina fired, pouring all her energy into a single shot. The Solar bullet pierced straight through Draksis' skull and even through the ceiling of the ship above him. The three arms fell limply to the former Kell's sides as the tiny burn spread out from his forehead and soundlessly reduced the monster to ashes.

Finally, the Guardians were allowed to breath. Katrina stood when she regained movement of her previously shattered arm. Sora was leaning against one of the machines and Jessie, whose gun had been reattached to her back, had dropped down to sit on the floor, back to both of them. Katrina could still feel the anger radiating from her.

"Can I ask why you feel so strongly about this?" Katrina asked when her voice returned. Jessie knew what she was referring to and she made sure to keep her tone soft. No one had the energy for arguing.

It was sometime before Jessie answered, "How long have we all been alive now? Five years?" She asked softly.

"About."

"Have you ever wondered what it was all for? What it all means?"

"We do our jobs, we get paid and the City is kept safe in the process. Not much to wonder."

Jessie chuckled softly, "I guess I should expect that from a Hunter. But the way I was trained, the way all Titans are trained, we're this belief that we're meant for something bigger than ourselves," she rubbed the back of her neck, "When Aro invited us to join this clan, I thought this was it. My higher calling. My place in the world."

Sora came and sat down next to her, "I never took you for the religious type."

Jessie laughed at that and started to play with her fingers, a rare nervous habit, "I wouldn't go that far but sometimes…sometimes I find the idea that we might be alone out here, that there's no one watching over us a bit terrifying. Wrong or right, it's comforting to believe that there's a method to the madness. A reason why I was pulled from death against my will. I thought this was it. I thought this," she gestured to the sun tattooed on her left shoulder, "meant the same to you as it did to me."

Something twisted in Katrina's stomach, "I never really thought of it that way, to be honest," she responded quietly, "Just doing what I was told and focusing on myself; it kept me from getting wrapped up in the why."

Jessie rolled her shoulders, "Wondering why has always kept me grounded. Believing that I was meant for this, It made it easier to ignore the slurs and insults."

She stopped twiddling her fingers, "I watched the recording Aro sent the Vanguard. The one of Wrath(A) leaving with Wrath(K). I listened to everything he said and to me, he didn't sound hateful or even angry like his name would suggest. Wrath(A) sounded hurt. In pain. Pain can be relieved. Wrath(A) can be saved from himself. I know it," her voice wavered slightly, "I know it."

Katrina's hand ran over her hood, "You know we can't change the Vanguard's minds, right?"

"I know."

"And you know, there's little chance of us succeeding, right?"

"I know."

Sora looked back at Katrina who let out a deep breath, "Then we should head back to Earth. Talk to the others. We can't do this without them."

Jessie perked up, "Really?"

Katrina shrugged, "Guess it's about time I start going on a little faith. Why not?"

"Thank you," Jessie tried and failed to keep the elation out of her voice.

Katrina smiled, "Don't thank me just yet," she turned to Sora, who was getting to her feet, "What do you decide?"

Sora chuckled sheepishly, "I've honestly spent this entire trip thinking of ways to change your mind."

Katrina laughed back, "Consider it changed then. Sort of. Again, I make no promises," she offered her hand to Jessie and helped her to her feet.

Jessie held onto her hand, "You're willing to try. On its own, that means a lot."

"Flatterer."

"I try."

"I'm sure," Katrina started heading for the Kell's throne and looked back when she noticed she wasn't being followed, "Aren't you coming?" She asked, she pointed to the throne.

"I thought you said we were leaving?" Sora jabbed her thumb at the exit.

"Without getting a picture of this throne first? Are you joking?!" The Hunter promptly planted herself in the seat and released her Ghost, "Start taking pics, Ana. You already know my angles." She leaned against one of the armrest with one leg hanging over the second armrest and the other leg hovering lazily over the ground.

She heard Sora snort and her slight frame racked with barely contained laughter.

* * *

"I told you we should've left a bit earlier," Jessie buzzed through the comms of Katrina's ship.

"How was I supposed to know the Fallen were coming back?" Katrina asked, dropping heavily into her chair.

"'Cause it's their ship?"

"Admit it, you enjoyed yourself."

Jessie's silence was the only answer she needed. Without much ceremony, the trio of jumpships took off, leaving Venus behind and making for Earth.

"Message from Amanda Holliday," Katrina's Ghost told her suddenly.

Katrina smiled and closed her eyes, reclining in the chair, "Ah. She got the pictures already?"

"Yes, she did. She wants them autographed."

Katrina barked loudly.


	23. The Nexus

_The Nexus_

* * *

The first thing Aashir heard when he dropped down into the Ishtar Academy was gunfire. Nothing unusual; the Fallen and Vex were fighting for control of this area, as they always did. Neither side concerned him. He and his team had their target.

"The way down to the N/GEN Branch is mostly clear," Aveline's said. She was doing the final checks on her weapons. Her brother was doing the same, "Should we clear it out a little more?" She asked, lifting her gun slightly.

"No," Aashir raised a hand, "Save your ammo for the big one. Kill only what gets in your way."

"Understood."

Aashir turned slightly, "You both know what we're really here for?"

Josef stepped closer, still observing the fighting, "Yeah, this Axis Mind Core. Did the Master ever say why she needed it?"

"What makes you think she said anything more to me than she's said to either of you? We're all Hidden."

Josef chuckled, "I've been under the impression that she trusted her Warlock agents more than her Titan or Hunter ones."

"She wants it studied, as she told us before," Aashir said, "We don't question it."

"So I've noticed," the short man muttered.

Aashir didn't bother with a response, "Move out," he ordered. They did so without question, easily cutting down any Vex or Fallen Winters that were unfortunate enough to wind up in their path. At the entrance of the Branch stood two Hobgoblins. As ordered, neither Josef nor Aveline attempted to fight them. Instead, they shot at both and as predicted, both entered into a short stasis, surrounded by a Solar barrier that deflected all damage. Instead of finishing them off, the team ran right past them, knowing that they would be too occupied with the Fallen to follow them.

The interior of the facility was as collapsed and run down as the exterior. Whatever wasn't swimming in small puddles of Venusian rainwater had been taking over by the plant life. Not for the first time, Aashir wondered what this place had looked like before the Collapse and what secrets were still buried away there.

"Picking up multiple Servitors down here," his Ghost warned, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Can you pinpoint the locations, Fel?" Aashir asked, bringing his Hand Cannon up to eye level.

"They're here, in our immediate area. That's all I can get. The Nexus is jamming Fallen communications."

Just as it said that, multiple Fallen started to emerge from the walls, having somehow detected their arrival. "Kill them! Draw out the Servitors!" Aashir commanded.

Josef threw a Lightning Grenade down at the end of the stairs, letting it go off. The burst of electricity fried multiple Shanks and sent several Fallen Dregs and Vandals into the air. Those who weren't killed immediately were knocked onto their backs, knocked back by the force of the burst and promptly shot where they lay.

"Keep it up. The Servitors are headed this way," Fel said. Right on cue, Aashir noticed a large violet ball of energy coming at his head. He turned away, narrowly avoiding the attack before firing his Hand Cannon directly into the Servitor's eye. The gun ran dry and Aashir switched to his Shotgun and continued firing.

The Servitor fell back with each blast but still would not slow down. Aashir clicked the trigger once more only to see that the gun was empty. The Servitor responded immediately, firing a Void blast at his feet.

The impact knocked him backwards off his feet. He twisted in the air, landing on his hands and flipping again to land on his feet. The Servitor continued to attack, bolstered by additional Fallen forces. One of the Fallen Dregs came in close, brandishing a Shock Dagger, bringing it up towards Aashir's head. Aashir ducked under the attack and grabbed the Fallen roughly by its face, forcefully ripping the life energy and using it to bolster his own reserves.

He tossed away the empty corpse, turned and ran out of the room. Once he reached the stairs, Aashir jumped, and glided forward, twisting and lancing a large Nova Bomb from the far side of the complex. The blast hit its mark, disintegrating multiple Fallen and blowing the Servitor to pieces. Aashir landed on his feet, allowing himself time to reload.

"The other Servitors are dead," Fel informed him. The Warlock hadn't even noticed that the others had split off to find the other two.

"Good. Can you lead us to the Mind now?" Aashir asked, attaching the Shotgun to his back. He heard Josef and Aveline come up behind him.

"I'm getting a clearer signal. Let's head the upstairs."

"Did the other Servitors give you much trouble?" Aashir asked his team.

Josef let out a small laugh before they began move on.

* * *

The three finally reached the end of the tunnel in the long abandoned dig site, leading to to a large open cavern filled with obvious Vex architecture. At the center was a small ray of blue light that stretched up to the ceiling. Following the line of light up, they found the Nexus Mind, attached to the ceiling and staring back at them.

Several of the structures on the ground suddenly started to shake and soon move. Several Vex Minotaurs woke up and stomped towards where the Guardians were stationed.

"The Nexus Mind's waking them up in order to defend it," Josef said, using his gun scope to get a better look, "If we kill them, it would be forced to defend itself."

"Then that's what we'll do," Aashir reloaded the Hand Cannon, " Aveline, you have a Void Sniper?"

"Of course."

"Then provide cover fire from up here." Aashir then jumped down, using his Light to slow his descent before letting his boots hit the ground **.**

The Minotaurs charged him without warning. Switching to the Shotgun, Aashir extended his arm out and fired, staggering the machine. The one charging up behind him was tackled at the legs by Josef. The Minotaur managed to knock him away, only to have its leg suddenly blown off by the Magnetic Grenade he left behind. The second explosion finished it off.

"What have I told you about picking fights with people bigger than you, Josef?" Aveline yelled through the comms. Her Sniper could be heard firing every few seconds, probably aimed at the Minotaurs at the back.

Josef turned around and aimed his gun at the opening where his sister was stationed, muttering in Spanish when he realized she was too far away.

"Behave yourselves, you two," Aashir ordered, letting some humor slip into his voice, "Josef, we're not done." The last Minotaur was missing a shield, a head and was wildly running in their direction.

Josef grabbed one of the large glowing crates nearest him and heaved it into his arms, spinning once and tossing the heavy box at the Vex. Aashir brought up his gun and shot the box, causing a small but powerful explosion that easily fried the Minotaur.

"That's the last of them," Aveline announced, "And the Nexus is moving!"

"Stay up there and keep firing. Josef, find cover!" Aashir ordered as the entire cavern started to shake. The beam of light at the the center of the cavern started to pulse. Part by part, the Nexus Mind descended from the ceiling, reassembled at the bottom. With an enraged mechanical roar, the massive Vex Hydra generated its indestructible shield and began its assault on its would be killers.

Aashir was still attempting to get behind adequate cover and he could feel the ground shake as the Mind's energy blasts trailed behind him. One of the blasts hit another explosive crate and knocked him off his feet. The Warlock landed hard on his back but managed to roll behind one of the many pillars in the cavern. He got to his feet and threw a Fusion Grenade at the Mind, who was currently occupied with flushing Josef out of cover.

Aveline stayed in her position, firing directly into the Hydra's eye when it faced her. She felt the stomping from behind more than she heard it. The Hunter swiveled around and fired the rifle at the abnormally large Minotaur charging up behind her. The bullet didn't even slow it down, nor did the following three. Left without another option, Aveline jumped. She landed hard on the ground and rolled, reloading and readying herself for when the Minotaur inevitably followed her down. The machine jumped and landed, creating a small crater in its wake. At the same time, several other Vex suddenly appeared out of thin air, red eyes all training on her.

The machines hadn't even managed to take a single step before purple sphere slammed into it, destroying the Vex completely. Aashir's outstretched palm was smoking and his helmet had been changed out for a completely different one. Rounded, featureless and pitch black. The residual energy drifting into the air from Aashir's Nova Bomb started to flow into the _Obsidian Mind_ and she could almost see him shudder at the amount of power that was being pulled into him.

"Aveline, go to Josef," Aashir ordered, "I'll draw the Mind's attention. You two get behind it and finish this."

A loud crash and the crack of Arc lightning allowed Aveline to pinpoint Josef's exact location. As she got closer, pieces of charred Vex rolled past her. She grabbed her brother by the shoulders and Blinked them to the top of one of the pillars. Aveline Blinked the two of them from pillar to pillar until they reached one positioned high above the Mind's head.

Then Josef jumped, bracing himself for the hard landing on top of the Nexus Mind. The Mind let out a roar that Josef could feel in his chest and his head. Ignoring his own pain, the Titan pulled all of the energy he had left and focused it into the palms of his hands. Then he slammed his palms onto the Nexus Mind and discharged the lightning. The roar quickly turned into an ear splitting shriek that vibrated the entire cavern. Despite it all, Josef kept pushing and pushing, feeling the blood start to leak from one of his ears.

"Get off now, Josef!" Aashir's command was his only warning before he saw the Nova Bomb flying towards the Mind. At the same time, Aveline summoned her Golden Gun and pushed all its energy into a single shot. Josef jumped just as the Bomb rocked the reeling Hydra and the Golden Gun bullet pierced its eye, exiting the other side.

The Mind's shield disappeared and its lights dimmed. The machine fell to the ground in an explosion that pushed Josef even farther back. But it was done. The Mind was dead.

Josef looked up to see his sister's hand held out over him. He was pulled to his feet and steadied. "You alright?" she asked softly.

"My ear's regenerating and itches like shit but other than that, I'm fine." She laughed at that.

Aashir slowly moved in close to the charred husk of the Mind. He opened his palm and let his Ghost out to scan the remains. Fel stopped over one piece in particular. Aashir moved the rubble away to see a small piece of machinery, slightly covered in ash but otherwise still intact.

"This is it," he murmured, "This is what we're looking for." It was hard to believe such a tiny piece of technology was so vital to something as large and important as the Nexus Mind. He hoped that Ikora would share whatever she managed to pull from it.

He reached out for the Core and it suddenly shifted away. He reached out a second time and the thing moved away a second time. His eyes narrowed. Without warning, the core flew towards the back of the room. It kept close to the ground, rolling before suddenly jumping upwards into the air.

A gloved hand reached out of the dark to catch it.

Aashir's gun was in his hand not a second later, "Who's there?" He boomed, holding up the Hand Cannon. Josef quickly got to his feet.

The person ignored him, holding the core up in the air as if they were observing it.

Aashir clicked the hammer back, "I won't ask again!"

The person observed it for just a second more before casually tossing it into the air and catching it. "That was a spectacular performance," the person said. The voice was feminine and soft but glaringly clear, "Unorthodox though. Never would've thought to drop a man on top of it. But you have my thanks. I expected nothing less from Ikora's Hidden."

She stepped out from the dark, clothed in black and silver robe-like armor. Her helmet had a boxy shape to it, the visor square shaped. A Warlock.

"You don't know me," she continued, "But I'm sure by now, you've heard of me. I've heard plenty of things about you. It's good to meet you Aashir, Josef Torres and Aveline Torres," she bowed her head politely, "My name is Envy."

Aashir's grip on his gun became iron tight and he heard Aveline let out a small gasp. They could tell by her town that she was not lying to them. She was one of the seven; a Herald.

The last time he had seen a Herald in the flesh was when Greed escaped captivity. Now here stood another, one who had decided to keep hidden until now.

"Why did you come here?" Aashir asked slowly. His best bet was to keep everything and everyone as calm as possible. Both Josef and Aveline looked ready to attack.

Envy seemed unbothered by them, focusing only on Aashir, "Rasputin told me," she shrugged as of this earth shattering admission was no big deal.

"The Warmind?" Josef started to move closer, ignoring Aashir's hand holding him back, "He's been working with you?!"

She laughed, "Working? Oh no. Nothing like that. Even Warminds have their limits. All you have to do is find them, push on them and get them to talk. Then you'll start to hear a lot of things. Like who exactly is going after a Prime Servitor or who plans to break into the World's Grave."

"You," Aashir breathed, "I've always wondered how the others have always run into the Heralds, as if they have some form of premonition. But it was you all along. You break into Rasputin and get information on us."

"That's absolutely correct," Envy replied, "Rasputin also gave up the mission you had here."

"Records weren't kept about why we're really here," Aveline said.

"No but I can put two and two together. Ikora's been after this stupid thing for years," Envy said, "But Pride wants it to further his plans. Nothing I can do but obey."

"I'm only going to say this once," Aashir said, voice dropping to a dangerous tone, "There's three of us and only one of you. Put the core down and leave."

"My dear," Envy said with a false sweetness, "I hope you don't actually think that would work, do you?" She slipped the core into one of her pockets, "You want it? _Come take it."_

Aashir received no warning before Envy raised her hands and sent two bursts of orange flame flying towards them. Josef threw himself left, Aashir Blinked right and Aveline leapt high into the air, avoiding the blast. Envy's head followed Aveline, sending more and more waves of fire at her as she continously Blinked from place to place. The fire that she had been able to avoid was knocking chunks of rock off the pillars and the walls of the dig site.

"She's powerful," Aashir muttered as another wave of flame flew past him and crashed loudly into the back wall. He moved from behind cover and managed to deflect an incoming blast of fire with one of his own. Envy moved around very little, preferring to keep to one spot and pressure her opponents from a distance.

But if they were able to get in close…

"Josef! Aveline! Keep her attention until I give the signal!" Aashir barked, moving back behind cover.

Josef ducked as a piece of another shattered pillar flew past his head, "Then what?"

"Then you bring her to me!"

With that, Aashir entered Radiance and allowed the power to spread to his team. The second the fiery aura covered them, Aveline and Josef charged the Herald, Arc lightning coursing through the both of them. Envy ducked under the Arc Blade coming at her head and force pushed Aveline away only to find Josef replacing her, aiming at her legs and stomach in an effort to throw her off balance.

"That's it," Aashir muttered, "Keep her occupied." He quickly calmed down in order to ground himself. Then, pulling the residual energy still left inside the _Obsidian Mind_ , he put his hands together and started to form the Nova Bomb, infusing it with Solar Light. "Just a little while longer," he whispered, the strain making it difficult to speak as the sphere grew larger and larger.

Envy finally managed to knock Josef down only to have him spring back onto his hands and kick upwards into her face. Aveline dropped from above while the Herald was still reeling, dragging her Arc Blade across Envy's chest and leaving a deep, glowing cut. Envy roared angrily and knocked them both back with the sheer force of her will. She then sent out a hard stream of fire towards the two, her movements losing their original fluidity, a sign she was losing her temper.

Josef threw himself between his sister and the incoming wave of fire, brought up a Force Barrier and took the blast head on. The roaring stream split around him like a river crashing into a rock. He roared with exertion and threw his arms out, bringing up a Ward of Dawn and easily dispelling the fire.

"Now! Do it now!" Aashir roared, the Supernova Bomb spinning and roaring violently in his hands. He wouldn't be able to hold this much energy contained for long.

Aveline went first, charging the still stunned Envy. Envy brought up her arms to defend herself from what she thought was an attack. When she realized what it really was, Aveline had already gotten ahold of the Core.

Enraged, Envy brought her hand up to send a vicious force push into Aveline's head, only to have the head disappear and be replaced by a purple, glowing fist. Aveline had Blinked away the second she got the core and Envy's force push missed Josef completely, who covered himself in a Force Barrier and threw a thunderous strike directly into Envy's helmet.

Envy flew backwards, continuously hitting the ground but never reaching the wall at the back of the cavern. Aveline Blinked herself and Josef behind her flying body and Josef caught the dark Warlock with a second, even more brutal punch to the back, sending her flying directly towards Aashir.

The Exo Warlock dashed forward with the Supernova Bomb. Roaring with exertion, he met the Herald head on and shoved the bolt into her chest, promptly releasing it. The Bomb carried Envy all the way to the back of the cavern, slamming her against the wall and erupting into massive, ear splitting explosion. Cracks climbed the back wall and large pieces of it fell down onto the spot where the explosion had occurred. Aveline and Josef suddenly appeared to his left and right, Aveline having Blinked the both of them out of the line of fire.

Aashir nearly felt his knees give out from under him, dropping down to one and staring at the ground to get rid of the feeling of weakness. A large hand clapped into his shoulder, almost knocking him over and he looked up to see Josef leaning close, shoulders heaving with exhaustion and most likely smiling at him from behind his helmet. Aveline was undoubtedly in the same state.

Aashir stood with Josef's help and stared at the pile of boulders and rubble where Envy was buried, " _I doubt that was enough,"_ he thought to his Ghost but despite feeling that way, he couldn't help but also feel some sort of pride. He had never faced a Herald before and had been eager to see what they were really like. Now he knew, they weren't as powerful as he had been lead to believe. The other members of his clan were just weak. Not that they could be blamed for being so young.

"Aashir?" Aveline pulled him out of his musings and held the Nexus Mind core out to him. After a second's hesitation, he took it and inspected it. Good; it had remained undamaged during the fight.

"Should we finish her off?" Josef asked, readying a weapon.

"It might be best," Aveline added in.

Aashir wasn't sure he had the energy to. But he nodded, "You're right. We should." He started to move closer, watching for any sudden movements.

The crackling air and the bright sparks that appeared over the rubble was their only warning. Aashir didn't even have time to shout to the others before two enormous blasts of flame streamed out from underneath the pile of rubble. Just the wind and force of the blaze was enough to knock Aashir away and flat onto his back with a pained groan.

Josef and Aveline were not as lucky. The streams caught them off guard, enveloping them so thoroughly that all Aashir could see of either of them were black silhouettes. As suddenly as the flames appeared, they dissipated. Josef and Aveline didn't move, still standing.

"Hey..." Aashir croaked out to them, starting to sit up.

Neither answered. Aveline's shoulders suddenly went limp. She dropped to her knees and fell forward with a weak moan. Josef silently fell hard onto his back; their Ghosts appearing above both of them.

Aashir scrambled to his feet and ran towards both of them, reaching out to revive them. Just as he reached Josef's Ghost did he notice a figure dropping down from the air. Envy landed on top of him, knocking him to the ground once again. He moved to knock her off only to have a boot slam down onto his head, hard enough to crack the _Obsidian Mind's_ visor.

He threw his hand up, sending a small but powerful burst of flame into her face. She calmly knocked it away with her own fire and pressed harder on the remains of his helmet.

"Radiant Light huh?" Envy said, looking at his exposed glowing eyes, "Makes me wonder what you did to obtain that kind of power. Or better yet, what Ikora made you do. Putting others in danger for her own benefit," she made a sound of disgust, "Her time as Master has changed her."

Aashir said nothing, desperately trying to figure out how to get to his team.

"There is a way out of this, for all three of you," she said, as if reading his mind. She lifted both her hands. Aveline's and Josef's Ghost both started to shutter. Wisps of Light started to draw out of them and enter into Envy

"What…what are you doing? Leave them alone!" Aashir yelled, grabbing her boot and trying to move it off.

"Give me the core," she ordered coldly.

Aashir could feel the panic starting to set in. In one hit, she had killed them. Both of them, at the same time. He underestimated her. Now she was going to finish them.

"Josef! Aveline! Leave! Get out of here!" he roared, even as Envy pressed down harder, "Hurry!" The Ghosts started to close as the Light was ripped out from them. Soon they would fall dead to the ground. Soon they would be gone.

"Their Ghosts no longer have the energy to make the transmat," Envy said, "Of course…your Ghost can. You could leave. They would both be lost of course but orders are orders, are they not?"

Aashir's eyes flicked from Envy's face to the Ghosts of his team. She leaned in, "You could leave with the core and sacrifice your team. You can stay frozen like a frightened child until I kill them, die yourself and leave the core behind anyway or you can hand it over to me.

Aashir's fingers started to tremble around the core, "You have me defenseless. Why don't you just take it?" he asked, shakily.

"Because I want you to go back to that woman and tell her you handed it over to me. That you put your personal feelings before your duty," she said, "You are a Guardian. An Exo. Disposable; a war machine with little right to life in the eyes of Humans and Awoken. You're hesitating because you recognize your teammates' value. But do the people you fight for recognize yours?"

Her words stung deep. Ever since he was first activated, he had to learn not to make attachments; to care about himself and himself alone. Caring about others, as he learned with Marie, only got you hurt.

He knew what he was supposed to do. He knew that the mission should always _always_ come first. But if there was any sign that he had failed in keeping his distance, it was what he did next.

"It's yours," he whispered defeatedly. He lifted the fist wrapped around the core, "Take it."

Envy's hands dropped and the Ghosts slowly opened up again, regaining their lost strength. She held out her hand and let Aashir drop the core into her open palm. She looked at the core and then back to him, shaking her head. Her boot lifted off of Aashir's face and in a cloud of black mist, Envy was gone.

Aashir wasted no time reviving Aveline and Josef. Josef shook his head and rubbed his neck, "Aashir-"

"We're done here," he cut him off coldly, "Get back to your ships." He disappeared without waiting for their response.

* * *

The trip to back to the Tower was shorter than he would have liked. Katrina and her team were in the Hangar, talking and laughing with the Shipwright. He walked right past them, ignoring Katrina when she tried to talk to him.

He walked towards the empty Vanguard Hall, Josef and Aveline still behind him. He told them to stay outside, wait for him and not to let anyone in. Cayde was arguing with his Ghost. Zavala was discussing wall defenses with Shaxx and Ikora was down at the table, head in a book as always.

"Master," he murmured, bowing slightly. She nodded in return, "Your Ghost gave me the report and said you had something to say that would be better discussed off radio."

"Yes, ma'am," he said quietly.

"Well we're alone now and you have the Vanguard's attention."

"Yes ma'am. We managed to locate and destroy the Nexus Mind as ordered."

"But you couldn't obtain the Core," Cayde interjected, "Was it destroyed?"

"No."

"Did ya drop it?"

"Cayde," Zavala warned.

"What? It happens."

"It was taken," Aashir finally said. They all went quiet.

"Ikora, did anyone else, _anyone_ , know about this mission?" Zavala asked urgently

"No one except you, Cayde and the Speaker," she answered.

"Then who could've possibly known? And how?" He seemed close to yelling.

"Her name is Envy. A Warlock," Aashir told them, "And she found out through Rasputin."

"Another Herald," Ikora murmured to herself.

"Rasputin?" Zavala stepped closer, "He's been telling them our plans?!"

"She said she forced it out of him. I don't know how it's possible but she did. It's how they've been keeping track of us."

"Yes," Ikora murmured, "It makes sense now. That must be how they found out about our assault on Sepiks Prime as well as our incursion into the World's Grave and Clovis Bray."

"Rasputin is completely embedded into the Tower systems," Cayde said, "Everything we do, they'd have access to."

"And we have no way to defend ourselves against them," Zavala finished.

Shaxx spoke up, "I've been wondering something. If they're able to track our every move, why haven't they interfered with our operations more?"

"They've been going to great lengths to keep their existence a secret," Ikora said, still deep in thought.

"So they only seem to strike when it directly concerns them and their plans," Shaxx responded, "Maybe that's why Teams Mira and Katrina got no trouble from them today."

"Maybe…"

"Enough. We can discuss how to deal with this later," Zavala ordered, "Do you have any ideas pertaining to this Envy's identity."

"Just that she's a female Warlock, sir."

"And a powerful one if she took you all down," Cayde said, "Lyssa? "

"Lyssa was powerful but never the best at fighting," Shaxx said. The Titan was pacing now, "Lady Skorri? Tyra Karn?"

"You're lucky Saladin isn't here to hear you, Shaxx," Zavala told him.

"That doesn't mean I'm wrong," Shaxx argued.

"Skorri was an Iron Lord and Tyra Karn was their staunchest ally. It can't possibly be them!"

"And Wrath was in the running for Titan Vanguard, Greed was part of the Takanome Guard and Sloth was the very first Hunter Vanguard," Shaxx pointed out, "We don't know any of these people as well as we think we do."

"I can't confirm Lady Skorri but we can cross out Tyra Karn," Ikora announced, "I've just located her by tracking her Ghost. She's in Australia, alive and well."

Zavala sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "It could be absolutely anyone. We'll never figure it out by random guessing. Unless…" he looked up at Aashir, "Your Ghost. It must have gotten a recording of the fight? Maybe if we heard Envy's voice."

Fel appeared before it could be called, floating over to the monitor and inputting any information it held. An image of Envy standing over Aashir appeared over but her it was muted. No words could be heard.

"Is something wrong?" Cayde asked, "We can't hear anything."

Ikora brought up the file data. "This video has been tampered with."

"How?"

"My guess? Envy. She somehow managed to jam the Ghost recordings."

"Is that even possible?" Zavala asked.

"She can pressure Rasputin. I wouldn't be surprised at whatever else she might be capable of," Ikora looked back at Aashir, "Thank you, Guardian. You did well."

"But Master…" Aashir muttered, head hanging, "We…we failed. She was going to rip the Light out of Josef and Aveline. I…I handed the core to over to her to save them."

The Vanguard observed him and Ikora sighed, "I'll admit my disappointment. The Heralds needed that core for something that could most likely be used against the City and they got it. But you fought and came out alive. That is a victory in and of itself."

Aashir didn't respond.

"You and your team will be taking leave for the next week," Zavala ordered, "This was an intense fight. You should recover. Is this alright, Ikora?"

"It's perfectly fine. You're dismissed, Aashir. Get some rest."

Aashir bowed stiffly, "Yes Master. Thank you." He turned on his heel and quickly left the Vanguard to their discussions. Josef and Aveline were still by the door, patiently waiting and perking up when they saw him.

"What did they say?" Aveline asked quietly.

"She said to get some rest. We have the week off."

"Is that it? Anything about the mission?"

"Only that she wishes we had held onto the core. But she's glad we made it back," he answered.

Josef laughed softly, "So Envy was full of shit. Not that I had any doubts. I knew you wouldn't leave us, Aashir. "

"You got us all home in one piece, Aashir," Aveline said, nudging him, "At least be a little happy."

"I'm just tired," he muttered, rubbing his neck uncomfortably, "What do you two plan to do?"

"Drink myself under the table, that's what," Josef said, already turning towards the bar, "I assume you're going to sleep?"

"I am. See you both tomorrow," he waved them off and left for his room.

* * *

"Why are you still thinking about what she said?" Fel asked when Aashir's room door closed behind him.

"Was she wrong?" he muttered, peeling off his uniform jacket and his shirt after.

"Yes?!" Fel appeared in front of his face, "Of course you have value. To me, to Josef and Aveline. Even the Vanguard."

"Then why do I feel so damn worthless, Fel?" he dropped into the couch.

"You saved two lives. Sounds like worth to me."

"I may have also put the City in danger. Idiot," he berated himself, "All I had to do was leave. Or get up and fight back. But I was too weak to do either."

"She just would've killed you too. Is that what you want?" Fel asked, before disappearing, "Having emotions; caring about other people does not make you weak. Your life matters. The sooner you believe that, the better."

Aashir switched on the tv and flipped through the channels. He paused at a breaking news report. Another Exo, murdered. The killer had tore her to pieces in the name of self defense.

" _An Exo. Disposable; a war machine with little right to life in the eyes of Humans and Awoken."_

He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts that were plaguing him. He turned the tv off and threw the remote down, standing up and walking towards his bedroom.

" _You're hesitating because you recognize your teammates' the people you fight for recognize yours?"_

Again, as on Venus, he found himself unable to answer. Do they?

* * *

 _So far in ROI, I've finished the story, derped around the Plaguelands, gotten the Memory of Timur artifact and have been trolling enemies with it, I got the Iron Gjallarhorn and climbed Felwinter's Peak, something I don't plan on ever doing again. But if you're struggling, max out your agility. It helped me._


	24. Winter's Run

_Apologies for the late update. Midterms are coming up._

* * *

 _Winter's Run_

* * *

"I'll take the Auto," Aro said to Kain as he prepared his armor, "If Petra is right, we'll need to hit the Fallen hard and fast."

Xûr was somehow right. The Fallen had found the Reef's Prison of Elders, a massive, kingdom spanning prison that held prisoners of all four of the enemy races attacking the system by the hundreds of thousands. They had managed to liberate Aksor, the Archon Priest for the House of Wolves. Why the House of Winters would liberate the Archon of another House and how was beyond anyone. The Queen didn't care. She wanted him dead. And despite the recent loss of their teammate, she was sending Aro and Crona to take it down.

Aro hadn't told them what they were going to do. He knew he would have to eventually and yet he hesitated. The Queen and her brother were unpredictable, even to Erek, who was still not on speaking terms with them.

"You ready?" He heard Crona ask from the door.

"Almost. How are you?"

She sat down on the chair next to the door, "I don't know how I am. Pissed at the Vanguard. Worried about Asura. Terrified at what we're planning," she stood, pacing to get rid of the tension.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Aro asked, watching her intently. When a nervous look crossed her face, he lowered his gaze, "Tensions and emotions were running high when we made the decision. If you want to back out, I won't blame you." He meant it and hoped she knew that.

She shook her head, "No. I want to do this. But…this is the Vault of Glass, Aro. The last two people to enter; one went insane and the other became Wrath. They're the reason Osiris and the Speaker ordered us to start forming teams of three."

"I know. Two couldn't survive. But what about five?"

"Better. But not by much," she smiled. Aro laughed and continued preparing.

"So…" he started up again, much more carefully his time, "What about you and Corin?"

"There is no 'me and Corin'," she spat, glowering.

"Have you spoken to him?"

"No. And I don't want to," she said, "He's being transferred. I hope I never see him again," her voice was angry but Aro could feel the sadness lacing it. She had hoped. Aro had hoped for her.

"This will all be over soon enough. Then we can go home," Aro said, finishing, "Josef must've been pretty disappointed. He had such high hopes for visiting this place. Come on, let's go."

* * *

"You ready?" Kayla asked when they reached the Hangar.

"We're ready," Aro answered. He grasped Erek's forearm and hugged Kayla. While Crona said her goodbyes to them, Aro walked over to where Daniel was sitting, talking to his Ghost.

Daniel stood when Aro approached, "You know what to do?" he asked, leaning in and checking him over.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Are you sure we can trust Xûr?"

"We have little choice. He benefits if we succeed."

"Or he gets you out of the way if you fail,"

Aro sighed, "Daniel-"

"I know, I know," he said, "It's just this whole mess with Asura. What if they come for you next?"

Aro pressed his forehead against the other man's, "We'll be careful. I promise."

Daniel kissed him, "Good." He pulled away, "I'll see you soon."

* * *

"There's Venus," Aro murmured. First time since the situation with Asura. Or Wrath; both of them.

"For once I'd like to see a planet and not feel sick, Kain," Aro stood from his seat, "I see Earth, I think of Sepiks. I see the Moon and I think of Gluttony. Now I see Venus…"

"And you remember how your best friend put a bullet in your head?" The Ghost finished.

Aro frowned, "Yes. Thank you, Ghost."

"Here's hoping Mars never becomes a problem."

The ship came close to Venusian surface, "I won't hold my breath," Aro muttered. Kain dropped him off and sent the ship back into orbit. Two Sparrows appeared just a few feet away. Aro and Crona got on and took off, starting the rather short trip to the Ember Caves.

* * *

"Alright, it's just through-," Aro slowed to a stop, "Is there...there's someone fighting over there."

A Guardian was already near the Ember Caves, taking on the small army of Fallen and winning effortlessly. The Guardian, a Warlock, judging by the robes, knocked a Shank to the ground and stomped their foot onto the hard metal.

More Fallen were attempting to get into the high rise platform. Aro and Crona came up behind them, shooting them down before they could sneak up on the Guardian. Ensuring that there was no more Fallen around, Aro lowered his gun and came up behind the Warlock.

"Hello?" he called out cautiously.

The Warlock jumped, "Oh! You're here!" she said quickly. She attached the Pulse Rifle to her back and extended her hand to Aro, "My name is Trey. Its an honor."

Aro hesitated slightly before taking her hand and shaking it. She extended her hand to Crona, who did the same, "That was impressive; taking all of them on by yourself," Crona remarked, taking a look at the multitude of Fallen corpses strewn across the Caves.

Trey let out a breathy laugh that almost seemed shy, "Well I can't take all the credit. A team came through here some time ago. Collapsed the Cave and even killed their Kell. Weakened them tremendously."

"The House of Winter's Kell is dead?!" Aro's Ghost blurted out.

"Uh, yeah. As of a few days ago," she shook her head, "But never mind that. I was sent here by the Vanguard to help you with this mission."

Aro's eyebrows raised, "Really? What were you told?"

"Only that something…happened to the Hunter of your team," Trey's voice became remorseful, "I'm sorry. I've felt that pain before and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. The Vanguard know this must be hard on you so they've decided to hold off on making you choose a new teammate."

Aro looked away slightly as his stomach clenched. "Thank you," he managed to say.

Trey let out another breathy laugh, "Now that I've managed to make everything uncomfortable, shall we be on our way?"

Aro let out a small laugh, "Sure. Lead the way."

Trey turned on her heels and started to head into the cave. Aro noticed the entrance had a completely different shape from when he was last in the area.

"So, Trey," Crona said, "Why exactly did they send you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked as they climbed up a ledge.

"I mean it's no offense to your skills; After what we saw, I'm not even worried about the mission anymore."

Trey laughed at that, "You're too kind. But?"

"But," Crona continued, "We have like, nine clanmates back home they could've chosen from."

"I actually wondered the same. But when the Master tells you to do something, you don't question it," Trey shrugged, "Besides, with the Glimmer they were paying me, I wasn't about to turn it down!"

Aro let out a bark of laughter before he could stop himself and the others started laughing too. With it, apprehension he might have had about Trey's identity or reason for being here left him.

Aro sighed inwardly, " _Look what this shit is doing to us, Kain. Can't even trust our own now."_

"Look," Trey whispered to them, snapping Aro out of his thoughts, "Vex fighting the Fallen."

Aro heard the metallic clanking and the weapons firing before he saw the fighting. Vex Hobgoblin snipers were positioned on a railing at the back of the room, too busy laying down cover fire to take notice of the Guardians entering the area. At the center of the cavern was a large Vex Hydra, brutally beating down any Fallen that it set its sights on.

"But why? What could the Vex want with this place?" Crona asked, peeking from behind a rocky wall.

"The Winters are weak. Perfect time to move in and force them all out," Trey explained, loading up a Sniper Rifle, "If you two can keep all of the others off of me, I can handle the Snipers."

Aro and Crona moved once Trey indicated she was ready, Crona jumped over a large boulder and began firing into the eye of the Hydra, leaving a group of Fallen and Vex just for Aro

Aro ran in close, aimed the Shotgun and fired dead center at a Goblin's chest. The force of the Arc blast was enough to blow the Vex several feet away, causing it to shatter in a watery explosion. Cocking the next shell, Aro ducked under the arm of a Vandal coming up behind him and smashed it's face with the butt of the gun. Then he brought it up and fired again, decapitating the Fallen. Two more blasts took out two Shanks and left the Shotgun empty.

Deciding against taking the time to reload it, the gun disappeared, leaving Aro's hands free. With great effort, he took the ambient energy flowing throughout the area and forced it to twist around the last of the Fallen and Vex. As he did, his vision took on a slight purplish tint as he tapped deeper into his Radiant Light. A small but dense violet-black sphere appeared at the center of the enemy group. It slowly and forcefully started to pull the Fallen and Vex towards itself and all struggled to get out of its hold.

Before they could, Aro threw a Scatter Grenade at the gravity field's center. The second it exploded, he let the gravity field disappear, causing the grenade's multiple explosions to send dead bodies flying everywhere.

" _One of Toland's old tricks?"_ Kain asked. Aro just smiled, a bit winded from such a forceful use of power. The journal has really been coming in handy.

He started up the railing, running past shattered pieces of the Vex Hobgoblins. On the upper part of the cavern were a group of Fallen fighting the last of the Vex. He fired his Auto into a group of Dregs while Crona and Trey came up behind him. Hearing a familiar enraged roar, Aro reloaded and jumped out of the way in time to avoid being struck by the two free arms of a Fallen Captain. Aro focused his fire on the Captain, watching it's Arc shield shake and shiver as it kept the stream of bullets away from the Fallen's body. The Captain charged him head on. Just as it's shield dropped, the Captain raised its gun above Aro's head and started to bring it down.

A heavy, speeding object suddenly slammed into the Captain, sending it flying back into a stack of old rusted metal beams with resounding crash. Crona, jumped away from the dazed Captain, leaving behind a Magnetic Grenade that finished it off.

Aro took the time to reload every weapon he had. Trey was already at the exit, waving them over.

* * *

Crona's Ghost finally managed to open the door the Fallen were using to keep their enemies out. Despite the large number of Vex that had suddenly dropped into the area, the team managed to stay standing long enough to for Sol to break the lock. Crona ran through first with Aro and Trey behind her, both dropping walls of fire to ward off any followers.

Trey continued to impress them with her abilities. She had shown herself to be a very capable close range fighter before but now stuck to long range while Aro and Crona threw themselves into the fray. It was a wonder he had never heard of her before. He was almost jealous of her anonymity.

Her and Crona were chatting like old friends. Trey seemed a naturally inquisitive person, asking a lot of questions about what the Reef was like.

Moving further into the caves, the three came across a group of parked Fallen spikes. Trey stopped, looked at the Pikes, looked back at them and then looked at the Pikes again.

Aro chuckled, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Trey was on one before Aro could finish his sentence. She revved the engine of the Fallen vehicle, "Ohhh, I hope they mind. I hope they mind a lot."

Aro attached the auto to his back and got on one of his own. The vehicle was clunky, unfamiliar and all around uncomfortable but it was easy to get a feel for how it moved.

The trio flew through the valley towards the Winter's Run. Any of the remaining scattered groups of Vex they can across; Trey was all too happy to turn the Pike's weapons onto them.

Breaking through the Vex's fractured line, the finally reached the massive clearing that was the Winter's Run. At the center stood a large, containment like structure.

"A cell from the Prison of Elders," Sol told them, "The Archon Priest is still inside!"

"Ah!" Trey suddenly flinched and grabbed the side of her head. She looked back at them, "Sorry. Comms volume was a bit high."

The small group of Vex assaulting the the area, turned to face them only to see Aro launching a large Nova Bomb down onto their heads. Crona and Trey moved ahead, cut through the groups of Fallen attempting to reinforce their hold on the Run.

Trey soon Scorched the last of them and after a brief check around the area, she joined Aro and Crona in front of the cell. She whistled, "Wonder how big it is?"

"We'll find out. Our orders are to kill it," Crona said. She cautiously moved closer to the cell, "How do we get it-"

A loud whine interrupted her and the door to the cell started to glow white hot.

"It's opening. Everyone get back!" Aro commanded, turning on his heel and running for cover.

The door whined even louder and lifted up, releasing a plume of white mist out into the air. The whining stopped and was replaced by Fallen chatter, with one voice rising above the rest of them. A massive Fallen jumped out of the cell, landing on the ground with a resounding crash. Aksor heaved himself up slowly, moving for what was probably the first time in years. From what Aro had seen from the few Fallen Wolves stationed at the Outpost and from what he had studied, he couldn't help but wonder why the Archon Priest of the Wolves wore colors and heraldry so different from what the other Wolves wore.

He also couldn't help but wonder which genius thought it was a good idea to lock a prisoner in a cell with such a large gun weapon.

He ducked as Aksor turned and fired his Shrapnel Launcher at Aro. The blasts hit rock, knocking some pebbles and dust down onto him. He shook himself off and returned fire into its vulnerable head. Aksor teleported forward, closing the distance between himself and Aro, who quickly jumped and glided backwards, maneuvering through the air to keep Aksor from getting a solid lock on him. Crona was closer the center where the open cell was, fighting off crowds of Fallen reinforcements.

"She's gonna be overwhelmed," Aro muttered. He started looking for a way to get to higher ground before he noticed something shimmering in the air.

Without warning, the Stealth Vandal pounced on top of him, knocking him onto his back with the first hit. The Vandal spun one of its blades around in its hand before jumping again, blades aimed downward.

Its head suddenly disappeared as a bullet flew straight through it, leaving nothing but a corpse spewing steam and Ether from its neck. "Stay on your feet, Aro!" Trey yelled over the comms, "And pay attention. Crona can handle herself."

Aro scrambled to his feet and called his gun back to his hand. He ran towards the back of the Run, where Trey and Crona had stationed themselves in a large dimly lit opening in the side of the mountain face.

As Trey had said, Crona had handled the Fallen that had been swarming her. Aro was coming up behind her just as she lifted her Rocket Launcher up to her eyes, took aim and fired, hitting her target dead on. The Priest staggered backwards, holding its arms out to regain balance. Crona fired again but this time was expected. Aksor teleported to the side, causing the missile to fly right through empty space.

The Priest continued to teleport up the path towards the opening, bullets flying past as he disappeared and reappeared over and over again. His movements were erratic; panicked. He was getting hurt.

Without warning, Aksor appeared on top of them. Aro managed to Blink away in time to avoid the Archon's massive arms.

Trey was not so lucky. She put her arms up to block the hard swipe the Archon aimed at her. She went flying back into the wall, crying out as she landed.

"Trey!" Aro ran out from cover to get to her. She was clutching her right arm, hissing in pain, "Are you alright? Here let me-"

"No!" She twisted away from him, hiding her injured arm from him, "Worry about the Priest!"

Aro gave her one last look before running back towards the Priest, firing at it to get its attention. Aksor began teleporting towards him as before, just as Aro hoped he would. Aro turned and ran back towards the center of the Winter's Run, moving slower to let Aksor close the gap between them.

Just as Aksor appeared, floating in the air above of him, Aro fired a small Nova Bomb down onto the ground. The explosion knocked Aksor off balance, dropping him flat onto his stomach and pushed Aro further away from the center of the explosion. Aro Blinked backwards while still flying through the air to get farther away from the Priest.

He landed and rolled on the hard ground, "Crona! Now!"

The sound of thunder ripped through the air as Crona jumped off the highest point she could reach and enveloped herself in Arc lightning. She dropped down from a height of nearly twenty feet before brutally slamming into Aksor's unprotected back.

The impact pushed Aksor deeper into the hard ground, creating a large crater under him. When Crona managed to pick herself up and move away from the crater, the Archon Priest remained.

Aro slowly came up and joined her next to Aksor's body. Crona squatted down next to it, "He was better off in the Prison," she muttered.

Aro turned at the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. Trey nodded to Aksor, "He's dead?" she asked.

"He's dead," Aro answered, "You alright?"

She raised her right arm, "Ghost fixed it up. Good as new," she said cheerfully.

Aro chuckled before turning back towards the cell. Kain appeared in front of him, flying over and scanning the area around it.

"Aro, I think I might've found something," Kain alerted him, hovering over a marked spot under the cell. Aro moved closer, dropping to his hands and knees and crawling under to see a rusted door handle. He grabbed and pulled, heaving open a hidden hatch on the ground. Inside was a chest, covered in dust.

He took hold of one of the handles and heaved the chest from under the cell. Seeing that he was struggling a bit, Crona grabbed onto it and pulled it out with marginally less effort. Trey snickered behind them.

Huffing, Aro knelt down before the chest and pressed his hands against the sides, feeling for a lock. Two parts suddenly depressed and the chest lid flew open, revealing exactly what Xûr had sent them to find.

Trey whistled, "That is…a lot of Coins. How'd you know it'd be here?"

"Uh a bit of inside info," Aro answered, hoping he sounded convincing. "From the Reef," he added for good measure.

"The Reef? What could the Reef possibly want with all of this?" Trey murmured. Then she shook her head, "You know what? It's none of my business. Job's done."

"I guess it is," Aro said. He seemed deep in thought for a few seconds before he dug his hand into the warm mass of Strange Coins a pulled out a fistfull. He held them out to Trey, "With everything that's happened, what with losing our friend, Crona and I really appreciate you taking the time to help us."

Trey hesitated for a few seconds before accepting the Coins, "It was nothing at all really but...thank you." She put her empty fist over her chest, "I hope everything works out for both of you."

Crona and Aro returned the gesture and with their final thanks, they disappeared, along with the chest of Coins. Back in his ship, Aro secured the chest in the hold and sent confirmation of their success to both the Queen and the Tower.

Crona's ship took off first with Aro right behind her.

* * *

Trey looked down at the Coins in her hand and let out a small sigh. She walked back over to the cell and dropped the Coins into the large hole that originally held the chest, "Nice kids," she murmured to herself.

" _Never took you for being soft, Envy."_

No matter how many times it happened, Envy had to force herself not to flinch at the rumbling voice that forced itself into her mind whenever it pleased, "You don't know a thing about me," she muttered.

The voice boomed in laughter, " _I know more about you than anyone, 'Trey'."_

"Whatever," she said, "I did as you requested. Aro made it through safely and I managed not to reveal myself."

" _Just barely,"_ the voice rumbled " _It was a good thing they didn't see your injured arm heal itself without a Ghost. That would've been a problem."_

Envy instinctively grabbed at the previously injured arm.

The voice chuckled, " _Now, this business about the Strange Coins; what do you think it could be about?"_

Envy knew there was no use lying, "I don't know. The only one I know who's ever had a use for the things is Xûr of the Nine. He takes them in exchange for powerful weapons and armor."

" _And you're hoping it has nothing to do with our new recruit._

Envy didn't respond.

" _Interrogate Rasputin again. See if you can find any new information your… 'sister' might have given to him."_

Envy felt sick at the biting way the voice said "sister". When Rasputin had made the decision to protect them, he couldn't have possibly imagined that his decision would come back to haunt him so badly.

Envy wanted to scream; curse him for forcing her to do these horrible things. When they had made the deal, she had believed in his vision. Now, thinking back, an agonizingly painful death would've been more preferable. Almost a mercy.

But she did none of those things. She forced down every emotion she felt and replaced it with the cold demeanor she was known for.

"I'll do what I can…Pride."

The voice chuckled again, " _I'm sure you will."_

* * *

The ships docked and Aro quickly disembarked. Crona came out right behind, carrying the large chest of Coins over one shoulder.

"Don't you have a report to give to the Queen?" she asked as they quickly walked through the halls towards Aro's room.

"Let's find a place for this and discuss our next move first," Aro said, stopping in front of his door. The door slid open to reveal Daniel and Kayla talking at the desk and Erek laying in his bed.

"Welcome back," Erek said, not moving from his spot.

"At least take your shoes off," Aro groaned as he cleared a space for Crona to set the chest. Aro kneeled down and pressed the sides to open it.

"…Well shit," Erek murmured, now sliding out of the bed.

Aro felt a large hand drop onto his shoulder, "Will it be enough?" Daniel asked, having stood up from the desk.

"Sol counted it. Unfortunately, it isn't," Crona said, sitting down in a chair, "That's where the Queen comes in."

"Soon, we'll be asking her for help. I know she has weapons and armor we could use as well as a place we can train," Aro said. His tone dropped, "Once I go talk to her, we're fully committed to this. Us five against the Vault of Glass."

"My decision stands," Kayla said immediately, "I'm not backing down."

"Same here," Daniel reassured.

Erek shrugged, "Might as well."

Aro let out a laugh, "That's good to hear. It's going to be hard, having to do this by ourselves," he murmured.

Kayla let out a small laugh, "Speaking of 'alone', a couple of people want to talk to you."

" _Aro! Buddy!"_ A voice rang out from Kayla's Ghost. Aro recognized it immediately.

"Shino?" he asked, sharing a look with an equally confused Crona.

" _One and only,"_ he responded, " _Now-"_ he was suddenly cut off by another voice, followed by muffled arguing.

" _Thank you,"_ this time, it was Mira talking, " _Now. Aro, Crona. I understand you have something planned."_

"What?" Aro exclaimed, "How did you know about this?"

" _Oh please. You're not that hard to figure out. You wouldn't leave Asura behind; no matter what the Vanguard said."_

" _What she's trying to say is,"_ this time, it was Katrina, " _We want in. You'll have our support from here on Earth."_

Aro was stunned into silence for a few seconds before he let out a breathy, disbelieving laugh.

" _So…what do you need?"_

* * *

 _I apologize if this chapter feels a bit lackluster, especially with the fighting scenes._


	25. Greed the Defender Part II

_Part II takes place_ _ **nine years**_ _after the end of part I_

* * *

 _Greed the Defender Part II_

* * *

"Sera, what time is it?" Vell mumbled tiredly.

"Still early morning. Around four," the Ghost answered quietly, "We still have a few hours before we have to move out."

Vell repositioned himself against the trunk of the tree and yawned, keeping his eyes open and on the refugees through sheer force of will. His Shotgun remained at his side, within arm's reach.

Being invited into the Pilgrim Guard was an honor; a privilege even. Especially when Vell hadn't even been a Guardian for up to a decade. But the prestigiousness and importance of the position didn't outweigh its tediousness. It's one thing to spend weeks at a time on the Moon or Mars watching out for only yourself or the occasional teammate.

But escorting a large group of mortals to the City was a harsh reminder of just how fragile people could be.

Not that Vell needed a reminder.

Joanne. She was only a few months dead now. And against his will, Vell had to leave a grieving brother to deal with the aftermath alone. The Commander was at least kind enough to allow him some time to attend the funeral. With the Battle of Twilight Gap five years past, there had a lot of those and he had attended his fair share.

One that had stood out to him the most was for one of his mentors, a Reefborn Awoken named Sasha. She had held onto a key point of the wall even after her Ghost had been destroyed and her team scattered. She managed to slay well over a hundred Fallen Kings before she simply dropped dead from injuries and exhaustion.

She had left behind a Human husband and two children. Fourteen year old twins, Aveline and Josef. Vell knew the pain of losing a parent. He never knew his birth parents and his adoptive parents died sometime before he became a Guardian. It was a pain he never wished on anyone.

But Vell's thoughts always drifted back to her husband. Losing the love of your life? That must have been something else entirely. Vell hoped he would never experience it. But with both him and his own love being Guardians, that may have been just asking for too much.

"Sera, could you call Toland please?" Vell murmured.

"At this hour?"

"Yeah. He's probably still up."

It took only a few seconds for Toland's voice to appear in his head, " _Vell?"_

" _Who else?"_ Vell thought to him with a slight laugh.

Toland laughed too, " _How are you?"_

" _I'm managing. No deaths, few injuries but the refugees are safe."_

" _Always good to hear,"_ Toland said.

Vell sighed, " _Have you been checking up on-"_

" _Your brother and his family? Of course."_

" _How…how are they?"_

There was silence for sometime. Then Toland answered, " _Adrian, he…Traveler, I've never seen a man more broken, Vell."_

Vell rubbed his eyes, " _How often do you and Eris see him?"_

" _We've both pretty much moved in for the time being. He's losing himself. It's not healthy for him and especially not for the kids."_

" _How are the kids?"_

" _Christine has been having trouble going and staying asleep. Tarlowe has stopped talking. Daniel has gotten into multiple fights at school."_

" _Maya?"_

" _We've been trying to make sure Adrian spends time with her but like I said…"_

Vell groaned.

" _I'm sorry,"_ Toland said sincerely, " _You have enough to deal."_

" _No, it's fine. I was the one who ask-"_ Vell froze, lifting up off the tree and twisting to look behind it. Something had moved.

" _Vell?"_ Toland called. Vell didn't answer, instead he kept as still as he possibly could, waiting.

The sound again. Clicking.

" _Toland, I have to go!"_

" _Vell, is something wrong?!"_ Toland asked, worried, " _Vell!"_

Vell cut the connection without an answer and grabbed his Shotgun. His helmet appeared over his head with the radar immediately blinking on. It was surrounded in red.

He was on his feet in a flash, "Hostiles! Moving on the camp!" he roared, running back to the refugees. Several people started at the sound of his booming voice before panic started to set into the refugees. One Human man, who had been fidgeting with nervousness the entire week, broke into a panicked sprint away from the camp. He didn't make it far before a bolt of Arc energy grazed him and knocked him over.

A Fallen Devil pounced from the shadows, dropping down towards the man before getting blown away by a blast from Vell. Vell grabbed the groaning man and hauled him up, running him back towards the other villagers.

The shooting had started on both sides; bolts of Arc energy flying out from the trees and aimed at the villagers, only to be stopped by the bodies of Guardians throwing themselves in the crossfire.

Vell threw the man back into the crowd and positioned himself between two other Titans, his commander and another Guard. He pulled his Light down towards his center, compressing it as tightly as he could before letting it blow outward. His Ward of Dawn manifested, followed by and fusing with other Wards. The giant dome surrounded the villagers and attacks bounced harmlessly off of its surface.

The Fallen were moving closer now, some brave enough to move out from the trees. The Guard rewarded their bravery with bullets. Vell hefted a massive Machine Gun up, sticking the muzzle outside the wall of the Ward and firing into the trees. Roars of rage and screams of pain told him when he hit his mark.

Through the chaos, Vell saw something shift in the corner of his eye. He let the gun drop to the floor, put his fists together above his head and brought them down as hard as he could. The Stealth Vandal's head snapped downward and it's body faded away, taken by the Void.

The attacking party was small and easily dispatched. There had been multiple reports of these kind of attacks on different groups.

This wasn't an actual assault. It couldn't have been after the City saw firsthand what the Devils were capable of. It was a message.

The only thing between you and a painful, agonizing death are your walls. The Fallen knew it and the the Guardians knew it too.

"Sera, tell Toland what happened," he looked back at the other Guardians, hurriedly moving villagers along to gather their things, "And tell him we'll be back sooner than I said."

* * *

"Hello?" Vell called, closing the door behind him, "I'm home!"

No answer. It was noon, everyone should be up.

"In here, Vell!" he heard someone call out.

Dropping his bag by the stairs, he walked into the kitchen to see Eris rummaging through the refrigerator.

Vell leaned on the open door, "Is there a reason you're stealing my family's food?"

The Awoken pulled the apple she was holding out of her mouth, "First off, I am family."

Vell snorted, earning a slap to the chest.

"Second, I am a guest here." She used her free hand to push Vell's heavy frame off the door and kick it closed.

Vell walked farther into the kitchen, "No one said you had to move in."

She laid the food down, "Someone needs to watch these people. Adrian's already forgotten to eat several times in the last week!"

Vell sighed, "I doubt he's forgetting. He probably just doesn't want to."

Eris paused, "That makes more sense actually."

"Where is he?"

"Office. Everyone else is in their rooms."

"Toland?"

"Your room," she answered, mouth full of apple, "Working on…something."

Without another word, Vell left Eris to her meal and walked up the stairs. The hall was completely dark, save for a few lights coming out from some of the doors.

Vell's Ghost spoke up in his head, " _We should…"_

"Check on the baby," Vell murmured, finishing the thought. He trudged towards what was strangely the quietest room in the house. The door slid open, revealing a dark room; completely quiet except for the sound of soft breathing. Vell turned on a lamp close to the crib, making sure to keep the light as dim as possible.

Maya was swaddled, covered and overall seemed comfortable. The sloppy job of her covering must have been Adrian's handiwork. Vell was glad for it.

Even as a child, Maya resembled her mother so much that Vell's heart ached just looking at her. He felt no animosity towards the child; Maya was here, she was safe. But not for the first time and certainly not for the last, he wondered why he couldn't have them both.

Vell coughed softly and Maya stirred, " _We should leave before we wake her up,"_ he thought to Sera while turning to leave.

He stopped in front of Adrian's office. This was the part he had been dreading. Tarlowe blew him off, Christine was too invested in her studying to bother welcoming her uncle back and Daniel wanted nothing to do with anyone.

Vell sighed and knocked. No answer. He knocked again and not a sound was made.

Irrationally worried, Vell opened the door. Adrian was here, asleep at his desk.

Vell's Ghost appeared over his shoulder, " _When do you think was the last time he showered?"_ it asked.

" _Sera?"_ Vell called in disbelief.

" _Was it before we left?"_

" _Sera!"_

" _What? I know you can smell him too!"_

He hated to admit it but the Ghost was right. Vell could smell something musty in the air and it had to be coming from his brother. Adrian looked weak and disheveled, as if he hadn't eaten or even bothered to fix himself since he woke up.

"Adrian?" Vell called, walking around the desk, "Adrian?!"

The man started violently before groaning and rubbing his eyes. "I thought I said I didn't want to be bothered," the man growled before looking at who woke him, "Oh…Vell. When did you get back?"

"Just now. When was the last time you bathed?"

He didn't answer. Just slid down in his chair.

" _Probably shouldn't have led with that,"_ Vell thought. He sat down on the corner of the desk facing the large rectangular windows in the back of the room, "How have you been holding up?"

"You haven't been gone that long," Adrian muttered.

"I know. But I want to hear it from you,"

Adrian's laugh was short and bitter, "I feel like I apparently smell, Vell. Like shit. Like I'm dead, Vell," his voice lowered, "I…feel dead, Vell."

"I…" Vell started and then stopped. What could he say? Nothing would make the pain go away except time. And even then, the scars would always remain. Ten years after his adoptive parents' deaths and it still stung to think about them.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm back," Vell decided to say, standing up.

"Fun trip?" Adrian mumbled.

Vell laughed. The closest thing to a joke the man had made in months, "Nah. Pretty…pretty uneventful," Vell said, deciding to keep the attack to himself.

"Good. Good," Adrian shifted in the chair, "I worry about you out there, you know."

"I know," Vell replied softly, "I try to be careful. But you know what this entails."

"I know," Adrian said, moving the unkempt block hair back, "I know I'm being selfish,"

"I'm not saying you're selfish-"

"Doesn't change the fact that I am," Adrian cut him off, "Doesn't change the fact that deep down, if it comes down to you or anyone else, I always hope it's someone else."

"Adrian…" Vell said as if he was if he were scolding a young child.

"What?" Adrian suddenly exploded, "Am I worn, Vell?! I've lost my wife; am I wrong to not want to lose my little brother too?"

Again, Vell was at a loss for words.

Adrian sighed and regret covered his face, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine," Vell replied, "It's nothing."

When it was clear, Vell wasn't going to say anything else, Adrian stood up, "I guess I should go take that shower everyone keeps suggesting," he said, his tone light and easy but still slightly forced.

Vell smiled anyway, "I'm not the first?"

"Eris is the first. As well as the second through fifth," he said, heading towards the door, "I heard her discussing with Toland whether or not they should knock me out and bathe me themselves."

The bark of laughter escaped Vell before he could stop it. Vell followed him out of the office and down the dimly lit hallway. Without a word, Adrian broke off for one of the bathrooms and Vell continued towards his own room.

The place had changed very little since he had moved out nine years ago. Just a few things missing and a few new things.

Like an extra person hunched over his desk.

Vell knocked against the door frame, making Toland jump, "Vell! When did you get back?"

"Just walked in," Vell answered incredulously, "How did you not know that?"

"I uh…" Toland looked from Vell to the desk and back, "I've been a bit occupied."

"Yes, I've noticed," Vell stepped inside and let the door close, locking it, "That…damned gun."

"Don't know why you hate it so much. It's not even done yet," Toland said, turning back to the weapon and screwing in one of the parts

"I hate it because of what you're using to make it," Vell argued, dropping his bag in a corner. He pulled his jacket off, followed by his shirt and pants. He rummaged through the drawers for a clean pair of shorts before dropping down onto the bed, "Ikora's warned you a bunch of times that this isn't something you should be messing with."

"And I've told her a bunch of times that I can handle myself," Toland said, pausing in his work to write something down in the journal Ikora made him keep.

"This doesn't have to do with how well you handle yourself, Toland," Vell said tiredly, "You could be putting people's' lives in danger, exposing yourself to Hive tech."

"I take all the necessary precautions, Vell. You know that."

Vell sighed, "Whatever," he mumbled, turning on his side away from Toland.

The movement at the desk suddenly stopped. Behind him, Vell heard the chair shift back and the bed dipped as Toland crawled on and draped himself over Vell. "Is everything alright?" Toland murmured in his ear.

"No. Nothing's alright, Toland," Vell said, turning onto his back, "Look at how far everything has broken apart."

"I know," Toland whispered.

"And I can't even be here to help them, I-I," Vell's voice cracked, "I feel so useless and-"

"There's nothing we can do but be here when we can, Vell. We can't bring her back."

Vell let out a shaky breath, "I know," he said. Then he chuckled darkly, "I guess when you're so damn used to being immortal, you really forget that others aren't. But now…now I see you or Eris go down in the field and it could be a high level mission or a simple patrol and I…"

Toland stood from the bed, divesting himself of his shirt before laying back down. The shorter man wrapped an arm around Vell's waist, resting his head against his back.

"Just be careful, Toland. Please," Vell whispered, a tear escaping his eye, "I don't want to lose anyone else. I…I can't. I can't."

* * *

Cruel, sadistic and possibly insane were all perfect words to describe Pride. But he genuinely let them do what they wanted if it didn't interfere with his work. He didn't care. What were they going to do? Betray him?

Greed chuckled darkly no one in particular, staring at the empty keg. He liked everything about the Cabal. From their military tactics to even the liquor they made. A quarter of whatever this keg of pisswater was could drop a man twice his considerable size.

And there was nothing he would've loved more.

Daniel's words have been running through his head for the last two years nonstop.

" _His family took you in when you had nowhere to go, treated you as one of their own! And look what you've become. And if you ask me, that was the worst mistake they could've made!"_

" _They should've let you die in the streets like the piece of shit you really are."_

Greed squeezed his eyes shut against the pain in his chest. His words were nothing Greed didn't say to himself regularly. At first, he had entertained the idea that Daniel was just speaking out of anger and hurt; that he didn't mean it.

But he was just kidding himself. For all Daniel and the others knew, their beloved uncle killed their father. Daniel had meant every word.

Greed stood on shaky legs and moved over to the keg, rolling it across the room by kicking it. He opened the door and kicked it out into the hallway. He snapped his fingers, summoning two Hive Knights in a flash of green light. Both stood still for only a second before dropping to one knee and bowing in reverence. To their race, a Herald of Night was a title and position worthy or respect and they showed him as much.

Their respect didn't stop Greed from wanting their cave their heads in.

The man swallowed his disdain, "Another. Stronger this time," he growled. He pointed to the barrel, "And clean that mess up."

The Knights bowed their heads once more before getting to work. Greed shut the door and walked back over to the desk, slowly sitting down and picking up Toland's journal. It wasn't the original one, the one he left back on Earth. He had started this after his second resurrection. He was always bad a breaking habits.

He threw the journal down and picked up _Bad Juju_ , another one of Toland's habits. Or Gluttony's. Or both.

Pride would want the gun soon; submitted for studying and possible duplication. He hated the idea of something so dangerous being used against Earth, but it's not like he had a say in the matter.

There was a single loud knock on the door. Greed opened it and let the Knight carrying the barrel over their shoulder into the room. The Knight placed the barrel down, bowed once more and lumbered away.

Vell walked past it, dropping himself onto the bed. He closed his eyes and saw what he always saw when he did. Gluttony transformation. His screams of pain becoming inhuman roars.

That… _thing_ rampaging about, as if it would destroy the entire Moon if it could.

That boy. Arochukwu or Aro according to Daniel's screaming. Escaping Gluttony's stomach and releasing power that Greed never thought possible for one so young.

Gluttony fading away, wasting his last breath on empty promises of seeing each other again. Greed had no idea what would become of him and the others should Pride succeed. The only way for him to see Gluttony again was to die.

He knew Daniel would want to be the one to do it. The son takes retribution on his uncle for the murder of his father. It was almost poetic.

But if Daniel wanted vengeance; if he truly wanted to punish Greed for everything that had happened, he would let him live. Live until the sun grew cold and have him spend the entire time alone; unwanted and unloved.

Just like when he was a kid.

* * *

 _So I know that postings have been becoming less frequent. Unless something was to happen to me, I assure you that you don't have to worry about the story stopping unfinished. This book and Books 4-7 will be finished._

 _But school has been making it difficult and while the compliments and constructive criticisms have been incredibly helpful, I personally feel the quality of my writing starting to drop, which is probably due to both school and these deadlines I set for myself on when I post a chapter. So while chapters may take a while longer to post now, it'll be because I'm making sure the chapter is just right and not because I'm moving away from the story._


	26. Wrath the Striker Part II

_School is settling down a bit before finals start. The worst part is over so uploads should slowly pick back up. This chapter took a while to write well so comments are always welcome_

* * *

 _Wrath the Striker Part II_

* * *

Kabr hefted _Thunderlord_ up like the massive blue machine gun weighed nothing. "How is it looking, Ghost?" he rumbled.

"Everything's in prime condition and I've completed the upgrades," the tiny A.I chirped, "We can use it to full capacity."

"Armor?" Kabr asked, rotating his bronze clad arm.

"Life support and all other functions optimal," Ghost replied, "If Osiris is correct, then the Vault's internal environment should be the same as the rest of the Ishtar Sink."

"Except of course for the fact that it exists outside of time," a voice rang out behind him. Praedyth came down the stairs into the Hangar where Kabr was preparing, walking a loose and relaxed swagger that hid any apprehensions he might have had. He was clad in purple and gold Warlock armor, a going away gift from the Future War Cult. His gauntlets, however, were some of the leftover parts from the Ahamkara dragon he helped slay well over a century ago. He had woven the golden bronze scales around his forearm and fashioned some of the smaller scales and spines into miniature replicas of the beast's claws to put on his shoulders. _Claws of Ahamkara_ he named them affectionately. The voices didn't bother him like they did any other Warlock who put on the armor piece. Apparently, he regularly talked back.

"Where's Pahanin?" Kabr asked after a single nod.

"On his way, as are the Speaker and Vanguard," the man answered, "Are you feeling alright?"

"I feel the same as I always do."

"Ah, of course," Praedyth said before awkwardly clearing his throat.

"Thank you for asking. You didn't have to."

Praedyth let out a breathy laugh, "I know but it only felt right. I know we haven't been together as a fireteam for a long time and that this arrangement is temporary but…I don't know. I guess I've come to see you and Pahanin as friends."

"Plus," the Warlock let out another breathy laugh, "I was hoping I wasn't the only one afraid as I am."

"You seem fine," Kabr said.

"If there's one thing I'm good at, it's bluster, Kabr," Praedyth laughed genuinely now, "Most people wouldn't pay attention to me without it!"

Kabr hummed, turning the Auto over in his hands. "For all I know," Kabr rumbled, "I am incapable of most emotions. Your apprehension will keep you alert."

"I forget sometimes what it's like for you," Praedyth said, sitting down across from him, "Too feel nothing at most times. I apologize."

"There's no need to," Kabr replied, "I don't expect anyone to understand. Not even other Exos."

Praedyth nodded.

"But when I look out at the City at night or when I'm with you and Pahanin, I feel…something."

Praedyth smiled, "Pride? Fondness?"

"Osiris calls it affection. I wouldn't know," the Titan attached the Auto to his back, "Whatever it is, it gets stronger every time I feel it. Maybe…" Kabr paused, mulling over his words, "Maybe even someone like me can change. Be different than what I was made to be."

Praedyth's smile got bigger, "I can't wait to hear you laugh for the first time."

Kabr hummed again, "Neither can I."

Praedyth suddenly stood, "Sirs. My Lord."

Kabr turned his head just in time to see Pahanin, the Speaker, Osiris and Saladin reach the bottom of the stairs. "I trust everything is ready?" The Speaker asked, hands behind his back.

"Of course they're ready. Look at them!" Osiris said, too loud for so early in the morning.

"You're much too excited, old friend," the Speaker murmured.

"Just being optimistic," he replied, quieter now, "The Vault is the stronghold of the Vex. We don't want to just send anyone."

"We aren't," Saladin stated.

Osiris looked back to the three and smiled warmly, "No. We aren't. We're sending some of our best. In the Vault, the Vex will have near absolute control of time and space so this will be the hardest fight any of you have ever faced. And harder than anything you may ever face. Come back victorious but most importantly, come back alive."

"But should you not, just know that it was an honor to protect the City alongside you," Saladin put his fist over his heart. Osiris and the Speaker followed suit, "Ad Victoriam, Guardians.

The team silently returned the gesture.

* * *

"We're here," Praedyth said as all three of them touched down in the Waking Ruins. The only sounds to be heard were the ships returning to orbit. The Ruins looked the same as most places on Venus. But what made the area stand out was the massive circular structure embedded into the side of the mountain. The door to the Vault of Glass.

"Figured there would be more Vex stomping around," Pahanin murmured.

"Lord Saladin sent out patrol missions to clear this area as much as they could," Praedyth explained, "Besides…the easy part is getting in."

A quick trip on their Sparrows brought them closer to the door. It was even bigger up close, forcing even Kabr to strain his neck looking up at it.

"Activity starting to kick up again," Pahanin's Ghost alerted.

"It's going to get even worse once we start," Praedyth took a small crystal like object out of his pocket and held it up. He then walked back to a flat circular Vex made structure embedded in the ground, "You know what these are? From the briefing?"

"Sync plates," Kabr said.

"Exactly. This key Osiris made will activate the plates but we need them synchronized. The Vex will do absolutely everything to prevent that from happening," Praedyth pointed right, to the plate surrounded by small pillars and covered by trees, "Pahanin will take that plate. Plenty of pillars and covering. Use the high ground."

He looked down at the central plate, "I should be able to hold this one. I'll be able to keep them clustered in one spot and hit them all at once." Then he pointed left, "Kabr, that one has little covering or high ground. I'm trusting you to hold it for us."

"Consider it done."

"Alright. This is it. Get to your plates!" The Warlock commanded, stepping into his own. Kabr and Pahanin reached their own just a minute later.

Praedyth lifted the key up, using his Light to carry it higher. The crystal slowly ascended until it came between the Vault door and a large glowing pillar on the far back side of the Ruins.

The pillar suddenly started to glow brighter and the crystal hung, spinning in the air. The plate under Kabr's feet started to hum and vibrate; a wall of white light raising up to just below his knees.

"Kabr, Pahanin. Look behind you."

Kabr did. Small, thin beams of light seemingly coming from nowhere were manifesting in the air directly in front of the pillar.

"It's forming a Spire," Pahanin realized.

"That Spire will be our way in," Praedyth said.

"Kabr," Ghost said, "We've got company."

Kabr turned back. The Vex were marching in droves from every cave near the Vault. All groups of Goblins, Hobgoblins and Harpies were accompanied by abnormally large and powerful Minotaurs called Praetorians; the Vault's first line of defense.

"Keep them out of your circle!" Praedyth ordered again. Fighting on his side had already begun as had Pahanin's. There was no turning back now.

"We're close," Kabr muttered, "So close."

The Spire was almost complete but the Vex were showing no signs of stopping. He had already been killed twice but had managed to revive himself before any of the Vex could take over his plate and start deconstructing the Spire.

Two grenades manifested in Kabr's hands. He ran out of the circle and threw the stick like explosives at the two pillars on the edge of the path between him and the Vex. The grenades detonated; one sending of arcs of lightning while the other created a long pillar of Void Light. The weakest of the Vex were torn apart, either by the Arc or the Void Light. The Praetorians charged right through, only slightly damaged.

Kabr covered himself in the Force Barrier and charged them. He darted to the side when one brought its massive arm down towards him and threw a shielded punch to its face. The Praetorian reeled back, only for Kabr to grab onto its legs. With a mighty heave, Kabr roared and twisted around and dragged the Praetorian with him, lifting it off the ground and sending it flying into the second Praetorian making its way to the plate. The machines collided with a resounding crash and tipped over the edge of the cliff, falling to the ground below.

Still in the Force Barrier, the Titan ran at the Vex; fists hammering metal, punching through Vex chest cavities as if they were paper and drenching himself in their radiolarian fluid. Despite the carnage, despite the gruesome and terrifying sight Kabr was certain he would be to anyone, the Vex kept marching forward; stepping over or on their dead brethren.

How anyone could compare Exos to such offenses against nature and life would forever be beyond him.

The Vex suddenly froze. Kabr did the same. A loud sharp ringing filled the air. Kabr dared to turn around.

"The Spire," Pahanin said tiredly, "It's finished!"

Suddenly, the Vex started to disappear. "The Vault is calling them back," Praedyth explained, sounding just as exhausted as Pahanin.

"Why?"

"My guess? So that they can hit us as hard as possible once we're in."

A beam of light shot from the solid pillar into the Spire. The Spire started to glow a bright white before a larger, more forceful beam shot from it into the key crystal spinning in the air. The beam passed through the crystal into the small opening at the center of the Vault door.

Then the whole world started to shake. Boulders fell from the mountain that the gate was embedded in. The metal groaned and started to shift and spin until a large, dark pathway was revealed.

Kabr jumped up to the top of one of the pillars and used his Light to carry himself over the ground below back to the central plate where Praedyth stood. Pahanin was already there. "There it is," the Hunter said, awe filling his voice.

Praedyth kicked one of the metal carcasses of the Vex away and picked up the crystal, burned almost black. "One time use," Praedyth said.

"Will we need it to get out?" Kabr asked.

"No. If we were to leave prematurely, we would have to come back here," Praedyth sighed, "The other exit plan is to kill everyone and then we can just transmat back to orbit." He threw the key in the air and caught it. Then he handed it to Pahanin.

"No time like the present," Kabr rumbled, trudging over the dead Vex into the Vault.

"Was that a joke?" Praedyth asked.

Pahanin laughed, "I'm taking it as one."

Kabr stepped over the body of a Praetorian that Praedyth had sent flying back into the wall, "You can if you like."

Praedyth and Pahanin quickly followed him in. Behind them, the mountain trembled again as the door closed, sealing them in darkness.

* * *

Praedyth whistled and took a knee, "Would you look at that?"

Despite the lack of lighting, the cavern seemed almost unending. To call it expansive would do it little justice. It was a whole other world down in the Vault.

Praedyth jumped off the platform they were on, floating down to the largest floating structure directly in front of them. On the other side was a gate, similar in structure and appearance to the Vault entrance.

It had taken some time to find their way through. The Vault was a maze filled with steep climbs and unending drops into what seemed like nothing. Earlier, they had Kabr kick over one of the explosive crates off a ledge. None heard it hit the ground. It had been an hour since then and for all they knew, it was probably still falling.

Kabr and Pahanin dropped down to the structure, taking in the sight. Kabr couldn't begin to guess what purpose this structure had; why it was made. But it had a purpose, no doubt. Maybe it was just beyond his comprehension. The Vex never did anything without a reason.

"Something's wrong," Kabr mumbled, looking around the area. Lightning started to dance around some of the pillars. Then all of them. Seconds later, it was everywhere.

"We've got Vex! Find cover!" Praedyth commanded, retreating behind one of the tallest structures. Static clouds started to appear all over the area followed by the telltale sound of Vex hitting the ground. Kabr had been alive for well over a hundred years; the glowing red eyes were nothing new. But in the Vault, where the Vex were most powerful, the malice could almost be tangibly felt. The Vex weren't going to hold back. Especially not here. They never did.

But neither did he.

Kabr swung a massive fist at the Vex closest to him, sending the machine's head spiraling off into the abyss below. He then kicked the decapitated body backwards, knocking over two other Vex attempting to close in on him.

Lifting his Auto, he finished off the two Goblins on the ground and let loose into the biggest crowd he could see. He heard little else around him but the sound of bullets flying, lightning striking and fiery explosions. He felt himself start falling into his usual pattern; reload, shoot, strike down anyone who dared to get too close. He let himself fall and refused to be pulled from this violent state of mind. Shots of golden Light flew from his left and the familiar sound of a Nova Bomb bursting came in from his right. Still, he followed the pattern.

 _Like a good little machine._

The single thought was enough to allow a Vex Goblin one good hit on him. Kabr rewarded its success with a fist through its center.

The Exo shook his head. Did he really just say that? About himself of all people?

 _No. I said it._

A voice. In his head.

And it wasn't his.

" _Ghost, what was that?"_

" _What was what?"_

" _Did you not hear that? The voice!"_

" _The only thing I hear is you. Heads up!"_

Kabr snapped back into reality just in time to avoid a Line Rifle shot to his head. Praedyth and Pahanin were still tearing through waves of Vex, never noticing anything wrong with Kabr or the sudden commotion at the center of the platform near the exit door. Blinding light illuminated the abyss and a sharp ringing filling the air, drowning out all other noises.

Then a burst of energy exploded out across the floating structure and the light faded, revealing a massive Vex Hydra that looked unlike any other Hydra Kabr had ever seen. Horn like projections turned upward from its head and between them was a blue floating sphere. Two more spheres could be seen floating in front of its middle arms and the partial shield common to Hydras surrounded this one completely.

"What is that?" Pahanin yelled into the comms, "What the hell is that?!"

"Osiris called it a…I don't know, a Templar or something," Praedyth said, stuttering slightly, "Look, forget what it is, just take it down!" From Kabr's right came a missile, smashing harmlessly into the Hydra's shield.

More attacks followed. _Thunderlord_ shook violently in Kabr's hands, the firing speed increasing the longer the trigger was held.

The Hydra did nothing. It wasn't even firing back. When Kabr stopped to reload, the Templar let out a shrill roar and started to glow. Bright green lights started to appear all over the floating structure, spinning in place.

 _I'd start destroying those if I were you._

The voice again.

"Who are you?" Kabr said out loud, "Why are talking to me?!"

"Kabr, none of us have time for this!" Praedyth yelled into his ear. Praedyth had landed right next to him, his previous covering proving inadequate in protecting him from both the Templar and the Vex still dropping in. Pahanin remained in his spot.

 _You don't have much time, Kabr._

Kabr looked up at one of the green lights directly in front of him. Then he brought _Thunderlord_ up and shot at the light. Whatever it was tangible as it shattered when shot.

"The lights!" Kabr said, "Destroy the lights!"

"What?" Praedyth said breathlessly, "Why?"

"Just do it!" Kabr moved out of hiding and shot the next closest one. Both did as he said, searching out and destroying any light they managed to find. Kabr had no idea what this might do but they were desperate at this point.

But who was the voice? And why were they so interested in helping them?

" _No. Focus,"_ he told himself. The voice was interested in helping them, that much seemed clear.

"Look at it!" Pahanin yelled with an exhausting laugh, "It's slowing down!"

The Templar seemed to wobble uneasily with every light that was destroyed. Was this the only way to destroy it?

Kabr looked down at the center near the Templar. The last light. And it was jerking from side to side, making it near impossible for him to get a good aim on it.

He didn't think about it. He ignored the dangers. Kabr ran at the light bringing himself close to the Templar. The light seemed to be jerking upwards, as if someone was someone on it. Again, it didn't matter. He needed to reach it.

"Kabr?!" Praedyth called, just now noticing his disappearance, "What the hell are you doing?! Kabr!"

The Titan ignored him and kept running. " _I'm close. So close. I can end this!"_

Kabr burst into Arc lightning and slammed down near the light, sending a wave of energy traveling towards it.

The light flew upwards, causing the Arc wave to miss and smash harmlessly into the Templar's shield. The Hydra released a hard pulse of energy, sending Kabr flying back.

The light flew to the top of the Templar's head, fusing with the sphere floating there. The Templar roared again, even louder this time and starts to glow brighter.

Kabr got to his feet and started to run back. He could see Praedyth running towards him.

The Templar screamed let out bursts of energy in the form of thousands of rays of light. Some bounced harmlessly off the structured of the platform.

"Kabr! Get down!" Praedyth roared, waving his hands. One blast flew dangerously close to his head.

Kabr reached out for Praedyth, fully intending to catch the man still running towards him and carry him back to safety. He reached out towards him and felt himself suddenly lifted.

Praedyth telekinetically threw him to the side. At the same time, one of the energy spears slammed into the Warlock.

Praedyth went flying backwards, slamming into a pillar and dropping to his knees in a stunned silence.

The Templar's attack stopped. Everything was silent and deathly still. Kabr scrambled to his feet, "Praedyth?" He whispered.

Praedyth slowly turned to look at him. His body suddenly started to flicker, as if he was an afterimage fading away.

"Praedyth?" Kabr called a bit louder.

Praedyth raised a trembling, flickering hand towards Kabr. Kabr started to run towards him. The flickering started to increase and Kabr ran faster, his own hand outstretched.

" _Almost,"_ Kabr thought, " _Almost."_

Then, without warning or a sound, Praedyth disappeared. No body. No Ghost.

Kabr stumbled and fell onto spot where the Warlock just was. On the other side of the structure, Pahanin was leaning against a wall he had used for cover when the Templar had fired its barrage, staring in his direction. "Kabr…what just happened," the Hunter's voice was quaking, "Where's Praedyth?!"

Kabr couldn't speak.

 _You should've destroyed them,_ the voice said. It sounded mildly disappointed. As if it understood the ramifications of what just happened but barely cared.

Kabr suddenly grabbed at his chest; deep pain resonating throughout his body. He couldn't focus. The Vex were incoming, the Templar was attacking.

Praedyth was gone.

Despite the risks, Kabr twisted off his helmet and threw it down, hoping to relieve the constriction he felt wrapping around his head.

"Kabr?!" Pahanin called, "Kabr! You need to get up!"

The pain was getting worse. The Vex were moving in on Pahanin. Kabr didn't move.

Pahanin burst into Arc Light, striking back and forth at the group of Vex. One landed a shot on his side, causing the Hunter to stumble. Another shot knocked him down.

"Kabr! Argh!" Pahanin cried out in pain as another shot hit him dead on.

The pressure in his chest exploded.

Kabr's jaw suddenly opened and from it came a long inhuman roar. The sound reverberated across the abyss, shaking the entire battleground. Even the Vex had stopped in their advance on Pahanin.

Kabr slowly rose to his feet; hunched over, shoulders raised and arms hanging limp in front of him. His eyes were glowing a bright blue and the streams of Arc lightning that emanated from them danced all over his body.

His head turned to Pahanin's direction, cocked at an inhuman angle. Still on the ground, Pahanin shifted away slightly in fear, despite the distance between them. The Vex surrounding him never took their eyes off the Titan.

Pahanin yelped in panic and Blinked away just before Kabr landed on top of the group of Vex, crossing the expanse of the structure in less than a second. The Vex were obliterated in the resulting Arc explosion. Massive, seemingly indestructible pillars were blown away almost completely. Pahanin had never seen so much power in one Guardian. And he had never heard so much pain in one sound.

The Templar began attacking them again, firing its primary weapons. Pahanin scrambled to move out of the way. Kabr took several blasts head on. He didn't flinch on the slightest. His eyes were still glowing and the lightning bolts flitting out of them were becoming sharper and angrier.

Kabr started to walk towards the Templar. The walk became a run. The run became a hard, ground cracking sprint.

He jumped high above the Templar and landed on the top of its shield. The Force Barrier covered his body and at the same time, Arc lightning filled his fist. He glared down at the Templar, one eye blue and the other bright violet. And then he raised his fists and brought them down.

The Templar shook with the force of the echoing impact. Kabr punched again and the Templar lurched backwards.

Kabr's strikes rained down on the Templar's shields. It turned its guns up towards him and fired continuously in a desperate attempt to get the Titan off. The attacks only seemed to make Kabr hit harder.

With one last attack, the sound of a shrill ring filled the air and the Templar's shields collapsed. Kabr paused only for a few heartbeats before he roared again and began to brutally beat on the Templar's exposed head.

The Templar shook with each blow, enraged roars becoming screams that almost sounded desperate; almost panicked.

And Kabr seemed to relish in its pain.

The Templar started to glow and to Pahanin's dismay, the green lights started to appear once again.

Kabr started to hit harder than ever before, the Force Barrier allowing him to strike at the Templar as hard as he possibly could with no concerns of hurting himself. The Templar let out a shriek with each brutal hit. It began to call the lights towards itself again, hoping to do to Kabr what it did to Praedyth.

Kabr let out one last scream and hit again. His fist embedded itself inside the Templar's head.

The lights stopped in their movement and disappeared. The Hydra let out a weak cry before and crashing to the ground. The dead husk exploded, as it always did.

Kabr emerged from the rubble and pushed aside it's burnt body. With arms burnt black and covered in white radiolarian fluid, the Titan rolled his shoulders and started to advance on Pahanin.

Pahanin's gun came up. Kabr stopped in his tracks.

"Ha-have you calmed down yet?" Pahanin asked shakily.

"You need to leave," Kabr said in his usual deep voice.

"Leave? Are you joking? After that?!" Pahanin pointed to the dead Templar.

"Yes. Especially after that."

"What the hell happened to Praedyth?"

Just the name hurt to hear. "I don't know," Kabr muttered.

"I'm not leaving. Not until we find out what happened!"

"I'M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU!" Kabr roared, his eyes glowing again.

Pahanin's gun was back in his face in an instant. The Hunter laughed bitterly and fearfully, "Since when do you get angry?"

Kabr grabbed at his chest, "I don't know. When I saw Praedyth...and then you…" Kabr fell to his knees in front of Pahanin, "Please. Go. Take the key back to them. Tell them what happened here. I can't...I can't lose my last friend."

The gun lowered, "What are you going to do?"

Kabr lifted his hand, bringing out his Ghost. But something felt off about it, almost weak. "It was damaged when the Templar summoned those lights the second time. It doesn't have much time," Kabr rose to his feet and looked at the door leading further into the Vault, "I'm going to keep going. And I'm going to kill as many as I can before they kill me."

He looked back at Pahanin, "At the very least, I can keep their attention off you. But I need you to go back. To warn them."

Pahanin just stood there and stared, arms shaking slightly. Kabr moved towards him.

Pahanin started to shift back, "Woah, what are you-"

Kabr wrapped his arms around the much shorter man, holding him tight to his chest. After a second of stiffness, Pahanin buried his head in the Exo's chest and returned the embrace.

After a long time, they parted and without another word or argument, Pahanin left, going back the way they came. Kabr didn't move until he could no longer see him.

Kabr held up his Ghost. He knew he wasn't going to leave alive. He'd never see the Sun again or the City.

He walked to the husk of the Templar and set his Ghost down gently. He then roughly grabbed onto the wreckage and with a great heave, threw it clear off the structure and into the abyss below.

He picked up Ghost again and placed it at the center where the Templar once was. It weakly tried to call out to him again but couldn't.

"I have to go alone now," Kabr whispered, taking a knee before the tiny A.I, "I'm done putting you in danger. You stayed by my side even when I didn't deserve such loyalty."

He rose, "Thank you, my Ghost. We'll see each other again. I promise, my friend."

He hopped onto the ledge that led to the door. With one strike, Kabr blew the door open. The former door led to a long, dimly lit tunnel.

Kabr took one last look back. At his Ghost. At where Pahanin went to escape the Vault. And at the last place he saw the man who saved his life.

His chest no longer felt hot and tight. Now, the feeling enveloped him completely and he needed to release it. He didn't need to have experience with emotion to know what it was.

It was anger; rage.

 _Or Wrath. Yeeess…Wrath. I like that._

Kabr ignored the intrusive voice, focusing ahead. He walked into the tunnel without looking back. The Vex took Praedyth and then they took his Ghost. They stole from him.

Now he was going to collect his payment.


	27. She's Saying You Owe Us, Guardian

_She's Saying You Owe Us, Guardian_

* * *

Aro let out a deep breath as he reached the massive doors that led to the Queen's throne room and adjusted his uniform. They couldn't keep putting this off, no matter his or Erek's apprehension; they were running out of time.

The enthusiastic declaration of support from Mira's team and Katrina's was what spurred him on. But what continued to trouble him was Aashir. How would he react if he found out? Only time would tell.

Daniel, Crona, Kayla and Erek kept behind him, trailing him mostly in silence, but murmuring to each other every once in awhile. What they were about to ask for could easily be considered overstepping bounds, especially given recent events.

But the five had little choice. As much as Aro hated to admit it, they would be killed just walking into Vault as they were. They needed training and only the Queen could provide it.

The Royal Guards parted and allowed the massive doors to open. Queen Mara was at the end of the long narrow walkway, waiting patiently in her throne. Variks, Petra and Prince Uldren, who had been talking amongst themselves, stopped when they heard the door.

The guards led them down the walkway, stopping and bowing before the throne.

"Leave us," Mara commanded with a relaxed flick of her hand.

The guards bowed again, "Your Majesties," they then turned to Aro's group and bowed in Erek's direction, "My Prince."

Erek closed his eyes and took a deep breath, upper lip curling slightly.

The Guards turned on their heels and left quickly. They were alone now.

Uldren wasted no time, "You wanted to see us?" He raised his hands, "Here we are. What is it that's so important?"

Aro squared his shoulders, "First, the Kell of the House of Winters has been assassinated."

"Yes, we heard," Petra said, "Do you know the Guardians who did it?"

"Their names are Katrina, Sora and Jessie. They're Guardians of the Will of Light. Our people."

"First Devils; now Winters," Variks buzzed, hand tightening on his staff, "With no Kells, both Houses will fall into disarray. This bodes well but could drive them to…desperate measures."

"Anything else?" Uldren asked.

"Another segment of my clan, Aashir, Aveline Torres and Josef Torres managed to take down the Nexus Mind on Venus."

"And?"

"During the fight, the team came across a lone Warlock. These three are arguably our strongest and most experienced clan members. This one Warlock took all three them out in direct combat," Aro took a breath, "She revealed herself as a Herald. Who she originally was, we don't know. But she goes by Envy now."

"Envy," the Queen murmured. If the reveal had any effect on her, she didn't show it, "And what are the Vanguard doing about this new threat? As well as the defection of your friend?" She asked.

Aro didn't miss the edge in her voice. "Nothing direct, your Majesty. They've elected to take no direct action and…leave Asura behind."

If any of them held any sympathy, only Petra seemed to openly show it. Variks, however, seemed suspicious. "And you…agree with this decision?" The Fallen asked.

Aro didn't respond. Variks cackled and banged his staff against the metal ground twice, "You don't!"

"Enough stalling, Guardians. Why are you here?" Mara asked directly, the only sign that her patience was wearing thin.

"We need your help to get him back," Erek cut in before Aro could answer. Unlike Aro or anyone else, he not only held the Queen's intense gaze but returned it with the same intensity. It obviously ran in the family.

"The Vault of Glass?" Uldren said, chuckling in disbelief, "You want our help getting into the Vault of Glass to rescue your Herald friend?"

"We don't need help getting in," Erek said, "We just need to be ready for when we do."

"The last person to figure out the way inside was your former Commander, Osiris," Petra reminded them, "How have you already figured it out?"

This time, Daniel stepped forward, "Osiris worked with several other people when he created the key. Two of these people were my grandfather on my father's side and my grandmother on my mother's side. After the first raid failed, Osiris destroyed most of the data but some of it still exists. It was passed down to my father and now my older brother has it."

"Yes, your name seemed familiar," the Queen said, leaning back in her throne.

"You may also want to know that the same man working to crack the Vault is also working get into the Archives, as our father did before."

"Is this your way of bartering?" Uldren accused, eyes narrowing.

Aro shook his head, "We offer this information and the key free of any charge."

"Then what do you want?"

"I know of the…renovation project you had planned before I left, sister," Erek said, taking a more personal approach, "And with the escape of the Archon Priest, I'm sure you're wondering if it's time to start clearing the place out. Why not have us do it for you?"

Variks almost stumbled forward, "You want turn the Prison of Elders into a training ground?!" He asked, getting so close to Aro's face that he could see his teeth through the chainmail mask.

"Yes. We do," Aro responded.

"My Queen. If I may speak," Petra started.

She permitted with a simple gesture.

"I believe their cause to be a risk but just. They are willing to go to Hell for their friend, almost literally," she said, turning to the Guardians, "And if they are willing, I feel it is the least we can do to help."

"I agree," Uldren said. The surprise Aro felt almost slipped into his face. He continued, "But only because I enjoy the thought of them being in our debt."

"He is right," she said. She quietly observed the five of them. "I find your bravery, Guardians and your tenacity admirable, despite its mutinous origins. We will train you."

Aro could barely keep the relieved smile off of his face.

But then Mara stood up from her throne, staring down at them with a glowing blue eyed gaze that could stop a man's heart, "I have shown you benevolence, Will of Light. Should the Awoken ever need an ally, I will call on you," She turned her head to look directly at Erek, "And I expect you to answer."

After a slight pause, Aro took a knee. The others did the same behind him, "We understand. Thank you, your Grace."

She nodded and sat back down, "Petra, present them."

"Yes, your Majesty," she bowed and walked behind the throne, returning with a silver case. "We were to present these to you later but circumstances have evidently changed."

She opened the case, revealing six small weapons, dark grey and blue in color. "These are the standard Sidearms of the all members of the Queen's military. We gift them as a symbol of our partnership."

The weapon was almost paper light in Aro's hand. He figured this wasn't the best place to start inspecting it so he allowed Kain to put it away. "Thank you again, your Majesty," he said. He spotted the last one and was about to ask until Petra closed the case.

"Your training starts today," the Queen dismissed them with another simple gesture, "Go and prepare."

"That was…nerve wracking," Crona mumbled once they were a safe distance away from the throne room.

"But it's done, at least," Aro said.

"The easy part."

"Like she said, we should get ready. Erek, contact Mira and Katrina, give them an update," Aro ordered, "Your brother should know too, Daniel."

"Aro," Kayla called, "I'd like to discuss something with you before we leave. When you have the time."

"Um, alright," he said, "We can talk as I walk you back. The rest of you can go on ahead."

He and Kayla turned down the corridor leading to Kayla's room, breaking off from the group.

"Do you remember the fight against Gluttony?" She asked; their footsteps the only other sounds in the hall.

"It's hard to forget."

"Same here," she stopped. So did he. "When you were swallowed by him, we couldn't track your Light. None of us could."

"I was on the edge between life and death. So was Gluttony. Or Toland, I guess."

"But then you brought yourself back. An ability I've only known a few other Warlocks to do successfully and none as young as you were. I can't do it. Sora can't do it and I'm pretty sure I've only heard of May and Aashir doing it once."

"I…you're right," he laughed, "I can't believe I never thought of that."

"We're going to have to tether ourselves to each other and if we manage to reach Asura, do the same to him. But that ability may be the only thing that keeps us from dying permanently down there."

"What about you? Gluttony told me what to do and I can teach you."

She chuckled, "I doubt I'll be strong enough in time to be of any use but you're right. Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

"Katrina! Katrina, wait up!" Mira's voice coming up behind her made her pause in her walk to let the shorter woman catch up, "Aashir called you?" Mira asked.

Katrina sighed, "Yeah."

"Did he tell you why?"

"Does he ever?"

Mira shook her head, "Me neither." The two continued walking to where they were summoned, tension thick in the air.

Aashir's message had been short and stern, " _Meeting Room 3. Five minutes."_ A recording sent to the Ghosts of only Mira and Katrina. There was only one thing it could be about.

"Do you think he knows?" she asked softly.

"He had to find out sooner or later," Katrina muttered. Her hands clenched and relaxed repeatedly; a sign of agitation.

"You said you prepared for this," Mira reminded her.

"I've prepared for Aashir. But if he's already told the Vanguard…"

"Then we're screwed. Fuck, Aro and Crona are screwed-"

"And Asura. Asura is screwed."

Mira let out a string of curses, running her hands through her brown dreadlocks. Then she shook her head, "No…no. He hasn't told them."

Katrina stopped again and looked down at her, "How are you so s-"

"He's calling us for a private meeting. _Not_ the Vanguard."

They were in front of the door. Neither could hear a thing but they both knew Aashir was on the other side, waiting. Katrina let out an almost imperceptibly shaky breath, "I hope you're right."

The door opened. Aashir was leaning against the table on the far end of the room with his back to the door. He didn't move even when it was clear he had heard the footsteps coming in. Back still to the two Hunters, he simply commanded, "Lock it."

After a moment of hesitation, Mira sealed the door. "You called us?" Mira started.

"I did send a call to you, yes. Seems I'm not the only one making calls. Need I explain?"

Katrina crossed her arms, "Only if you want us to understand."

Aashir laughed softly, finally lifting up off the table. "Fel. Play it back."

" _Now. Aro, Crona. I understand you have something planned."_

Mira had to keep her eyes from widening.

" _What?"_ It was Aro's voice now, _"How did you know about this?"_

" _Oh please. You're not that hard to figure out. You wouldn't leave Asura behind; no matter what the Vanguard said."_

" _What she's trying to say is,"_ this time, it was Katrina, " _We want in. You'll have our support from here on Earth."_

A short silence followed by Mira's voice, _"So…what do you need?"_

The playback ended. "Clear enough?" Aashir asked. When neither Katrina nor Mira responded, "Just how long were you planning to keep this hidden?"

"Until we got Asura back," Mira answered sharply. Her voice softened and her eyes lowered, "That's when."

Aashir laughed at that. "You were going to wait? Wait until you went down into the Vault, killed a Herald and dragged back a murderous, vindictive traitor-"

"Asura is not a traitor!" Mira yelled before she caught herself.

"Oh, he's not is he?" Aashir moved closer, "Every Herald we have met who we know the identities of have been unchanged. Gluttony was still Toland. Lust is still Dredgen Yor. Greed is still Vell Tarlowe! What makes you or that _boy_ over there think Asura is any different? Asura is Wrath! The sooner you accept it, the better for everyone."

Mira's fist clenched, "That's not true."

"Why wouldn't it be true? Because you feel it isn't? Well, what any of you feel doesn't change reality!" Aashir ran his hands over his head, seemingly trying to calm down, "Look…I understand this type of behavior from Aro, alright? That whole 'Gate' thing inside of him? It effectively renders him untouchable by the Heralds. And whether you or he admits it or not, it's gone to his head. When he meets the Heralds head on, it's everyone around him who pays the price. How many members of this clan have almost died because of his constant urge to throw himself headfirst into danger, huh? HOW MANY?!"

Mira and Katrina remained silent.

"But you two?" Aashir's finger waved between them, "I expected better."

Aashir walked closer, "Say…say that they actually do get in. That your 'help from Earth' actually amounts to more than jackshit. But say that…they don't make it. The Vault kills them or the Wraths kill them or even Pride himself finally decides to show his face. How you going to tell the Vanguard that you led another teammate to their death? Hmm? What are you two going say to Zavala about his daughter's early death? After all they've lost, how are you going to explain to Tarlowe and Christine that yet another member of their family will never come home."

Mira visibly swallowed.

He was in their faces now, towering over both the Hunters, "How are you going to tell little Trey and Maya that his aunt and her older brother were standing on the edge of a deep, dark abyss and instead of pulling them back to safety, you cheered them on to dive right in?"

Mira was shaking and she couldn't bring herself to hide it. He had rattled her and he knew it.

Aashir moved back, "I haven't told the Vanguard. But I will," he said, walking back to the head of the table, "Unless of course, you convince Aro to give up this stupid rescue effort. We'll all mourn Asura's loss. But five Guardians for the lives of one? You know how wrong that is. Don't make this harder than it already is."

Katrina let out a long breath and raised her previously bowed head, "We thank you for this…generous offer but we respectfully decline," she said, fake sweetness permeating her voice.

"And why is that?"

"Because I know you won't tell the Vanguard. You've been sitting on this information for a while now," she explained, "And I think I know why."

Aashir didn't respond.

Katrina opened her palm and allowed her Ghost to fly out from it. The Ghost opened into a Light bubble and the sound of two familiar voices filled the room.

" _There's not much we can do. Not with Aashir's eyes on our backs,_ " a deep, rough voice obviously belonging to Josef.

" _But we will help. You can count on us,"_ Aveline this time, " _Whatever you need."_

The short recording ended and Katrina's Ghost disappeared. Aashir glared. Mira looked confused.

"Did I answer the question that's probably been bothering you for days now?" Katrina asked, leaning over the tables propped up by her hands, "Josef and Aveline are siding with us. Behind your back, no less. And you suspected but couldn't confirm this without revealing your hand."

It was only a moment later until Mira caught on, "You can't tell the Vanguard now. Not without taking your own team down too. And probably yourself."

"No. He can't.

Aashir let out a short laugh, "So you went behind my back and recruited my team to your suicide mission. How do they feel about the fact that you're using them to keep me silent?"

Katrina crossed her arms, "Seeing as it was their idea, I'm sure they're handling it fine."

The Exos eyes narrowed, "What?"

"Aveline's idea specifically. Some weird trust in you to protect them above everything. I personally think it's ridiculous, given the type of man you've shown yourself to be. Especially today." She shrugged, "But I'll take an edge where I can get one."

She moved slightly closer, "My team. Mira's team. Aro's and Daniel's. You don't give a damn about what happens to us. I doubt you would even care if they did die in the Vault. But you care about yourself and your team. You don't want anything to happen that could get them court martialed."

"Better court martialed than dead!" He shot back

"We aren't going into the Vault!" She yelled back, "We just want to make sure the others who are going in come back alive. Is that wrong?"

Silence.

"Well, is it!"

"This whole thing is wrong!" Aashir burst out.

"What's wrong about protecting the people you care about, Aashir?! Isn't that what we do?" Katrina asked. When he didn't respond, she continued, "I know what this whole thing is. You feel slighted, don't you? The title of leader of such an important clan going to such a young, inexperienced and unqualified person. When obviously you'd serve much better, right?"

Aashir's mouth stayed shut but he refused to break away from Katrina's searing gaze.

"But being a leader is so much more than just giving orders and expecting them to be followed. You inspire others; drive them to be better than they ever thought they could be. And you protect each other above everything else. I mean, look at the lengths Aro is willing to go for Asura. He understands this!" She stabbed a finger into his chest, "For all your 'experience', I figured you would too. You're the unqualified one. Not him. The sooner you learn that, the faster you'll get over it."

The table started creaking with how hard Aashir was grabbing onto it, "So you're still going through with this?" he asked lowly.

Neither women answered.

"Then on your heads be the consequences."

Katrina waited only a few seconds more before turning to the door and walking out. Mira followed, letting the door shut close.

They walked together in silence for a few minutes. "Your froze up a bit in there. Are you alright?" Katrina asked softly, "What he said-"

"It's nothing," Mira interrupted with a rough voice, "I'm fine. It's nothing. I'll…I'll see you later."

"Alright," Katrina muttered to Mira's back. She had never seen Mira this shaken before. First Marie. Then Greed and Tarlowe. Now this. Every time she tried to do what she felt was the right thing, she and others always seemed to suffer for it.

Though she'd never say it out loud, Katrina had to admit that Aashir got to her too. No matter what she said to Jessie or Sora on Venus, she still did not want to die for this, nor did she want her team to suffer for something they have no part in. But she had to admit, Jessie's optimism and faith was infectious.

Katrina looked back at the door to the meeting room, "And that bastard had the nerve to just throw that all in our faces," she muttered to herself. Katrina shook her head in disgust and continued on.

She was afraid, of course. She didn't want to die. She didn't want anyone else to die. But hell will freeze over and the heavens will burn long before she lets something as basic as fear stop her from doing the right thing.

* * *

 _You're going to be in love with Aashir by the last book. I promise_

 _Do you know how many times I accidentally wrote Aashit? My fingers are too big_


	28. The Glass Throne

_I know I complain that finals is trying to kill me every year but this year, they really put in effort. But it's over, I'm on break, posts should pick back up again. Very short chapter and sorry for the wait_

* * *

 _The Glass Throne_

* * *

Without warning, Wrath(K) stopped in his stride. Wrath(A) had to keep from smashing into him.

"We're here," the massive Exo rumbled before continuing forward, albeit much more slowly.

Wrath(A) tried to follow. He stayed in the same spot.

He looked down and tried to move his leg again but all he could manage was a weak tremble.

Wrath(K) stopped when he noticed he was no longer being trailed.

"C'mon…"Wrath(A) mumbled, fighting against his own body.

The Exo's leg suddenly lurched and the Hunter stumbled to balance himself. Wrath(A) took a few shaky test steps before walking up to Wrath(K).

"He still fights?" Wrath(K) asked simply.

Wrath(A) felt Asura's exhaustion in the back of his mind, "He's a tenacious bastard. I'll give him that."

" _Go to hell!"_ Asura roared in their shared mind.

" _I got out of hell the second I touched that Sword,"_ Wrath(A) growled back, " _I suggest you get used to where you are now, because I'm never going back."_

Leaving Asura to his continued ranting, Wrath(A) took a good look at the area they were in. On the way here, Wrath(K) had called it the Glass Throne. The entire Vault of Glass was breathtaking in a terrifying, otherworldly way but the Throne solidified it. Massive clear crystal spires shot out of the ground and seemed fused together, crossed at the tips. At the center was an opening, almost like a tunnel, one that seemed to have no end.

The spires and the stone platform they were standing on, was the only structure around. A black void spread out from around them, going on for seemingly miles.

"You called this place the Glass Throne." Wrath(A) asked, "Throne needs an ass. Whose throne is this?"

"Atheon's."

"…Who?"

"Atheon's."

Wrath(A)'s red eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Fine. Keep your secrets."

"I will," the other Exo said.

"So I have more questions that I'd like answered" Wrath(A) asked, sitting down on one of the shorter pillars, "If that's not too much of a secret, of course."

"Are you always this talkative?" Wrath(K) rumbled slowly, his tone gruff but held no malice or even annoyance.

Wrath(A) scoffed, "Compared to normal people or people like you who go months without talking?"

"Both."

"Then yes."

Wrath(K) hummed in what Wrath(A) could've sworn was amusement. Wrath(A) decided to risk it, "So who exactly is Envy?"

Wrath(K) paused in his work, looking down at Asura. Then he raised his hand and a holographic image came up with it.

Wrath(A) moved closer to the image, "I know her…" he muttered.

"She died before your time."

"I mean I know _of_ her. I paid attention even when this one," Wrath(A) tapped the side of his head, "Was off in his own world."

Wrath(K) dismissed the image without a word.

"And Pride?"

Wrath(K) froze.

Wrath(A) knew asking about Envy was pushing his boundaries. Asking for Pride so blatantly was asking for death.

But Wrath(K)'s face and body showed no malice or the rage he was apparently famous for. Not that his face could. But instead he seemed deep in thought.

After a few minutes, his hand slowly came up. He hesitated, pausing halfway before bringing the image up completely.

Wrath(A)'s legs almost gave out.

" _No…"_ He heard Asura say in the recesses of his mind, _"No, no, NO! WHAT THE FUCK?!"_

"That…explains a lot," Wrath(A) muttered in shock, ignoring the ranting

in his head.

"He figured there was no point in hiding it for too long. Especially from you," Wrath(K) rumbled.

" _He's lying…he-he has to be!"_ Asura stammered, more to himself than anyone else. They both knew he wasn't.

After a few more seconds, Wrath(K) dismissed the image, as stoic and nonchalant as he always seemed to be, "Any other questions?"

Wrath(A) took a few seconds to regain himself and clear his mind. "So besides destroying Aro's morale, why did Pride decide he wanted me?" he asked.

A long pause, "Do you know what you are?" Wrath(K) then asked.

"An Exo? A former Herald?"

" _A traitorous bastard,"_ Asura interjected.

" _Can't betray people I have no loyalty to."_

Wrath(K) shook his head, "More than that, you're the original. The Exo all others are based off of."

The familiar anger pricked Wrath(A) at the reminder, "Ah. Yes."

If Wrath(K) heard anything, he didn't mention it, "Pride has used the Vex and the Hive to look through time and space at our creation. For anything he might have missed-"

"Missed?"

"Pride lived through the final years of the Golden Age, the Collapse, the Dark Ages and the Warlords, the rise and fall of the Iron Lords and even the creation of the City," Wrath(K) explained, "He wasn't, however around for the creation of the first fully developed Exos. That was before his time."

"I'm not seeing what you're getting at."

"That's because I haven't gotten to it yet," the Titan responded flatly, "They used you to make perfect copies. But there was one part of you that they couldn't replicate completely."

"Completely?"

"It was replicated in fully developed Exos but only a small part. It's strongest in you."

"What is, Wrath? You're not making any sense," Wrath(A) said. He was getting frustrated.

It was a while before the taller Exo spoke again, "The capacity to connect with other fully developed Exos. Fully developed Exos can connect with each other. It's what made them such effective soldiers. Your connection to them is stronger than they have to you. Pride believes that you might be able to influence them."

"I…what?"

" _What?!"_ Asura yelled.

"You heard right. With enough power, you could influence every Exo on Earth and turn them on their Human and Awoken counterparts."

"He wants to turn them into his own personal army?" Wrath(A) stood up off the pillar, "They're people, not tools! How are you okay with this?!"

Wrath(K) continued working calmly as if he weren't being yelled at, "Most will not be fighting in his army. This is simply to disorient the City. With the Exos under his control and the City turned against itself, less people to die when he opens the Gate again."

"Why does he care about…anyone?"

"For all his power and his…abnormal nature, Pride is still a man. Earth is still his home."

"And yet he wants it destroyed?"

"No one said anything about 'destroying' the Earth."

For the second time that day, Wrath(A) was stunned into silence, dropping back down onto the pillar with a million thoughts running through his head.

Wrath(K) continued, "People will still die, of course. Most of them Guardians, some of them civilians. It's unavoidable but the less, the better," the Titan swiped away one holographic screen and got to typing on another, "Don't know why you care. You joined me before I told you any of this. Are they people to you?"

"I…that's not the point."

"There's nothing wrong with having a purpose. And the Exos can have their choice when Pride has reversed Aro's mistake by dying and closing the Gate prematurely. Then the treatment you endured at the hands of both your original planet and humanity will become a thing of the past."

Wrath(A) sighed. This was giving him a headache, "Didn't know Pride cared so much."

"He still remembers people like him being in the Exo's place. He won't treat them like he was treated. Like they are treated now. That being said…" Wrath(K) stopped what he was doing and turned to face him, crossing his arms, "You realize that as a Herald, you'll be under Pride's complete control, as I am."

Wrath(A)'s mind flashed back to the Greed's capture and subsequent escape, "I realize, yes. I've done this before."

"And you're completely okay with this?"

"I'm here, aren't I? Why are you asking?"

Wrath(K) observed him silently for a long enough time that Wrath(A) had to make an effort to not start fidgeting. "Pride is still giving you a choice. The same he gave to all of us; join him and live, decide not to and die." Wrath(K)'s massive arms dropped to his sides, "If you choose no, I'll have to kill you where you stand."

The tension in the airless Vault could be cut, "Not much of a choice…" Wrath(A) muttered quietly to hide any shakiness in his voice.

"But it _is_ a choice."

"I know. I'll work with you. I'll work with…him."

Wrath(K) nodded and turned back to his work.

Asura was completely silent now. Panic had taken him. Wrath(A) refused to let it do the same to him. He cared nothing for Earth or its people. He was going to get out of this alive, no matter what.

He leaned back against the stone wall and started twirling his knife around his fingers. "No matter what," he muttered quietly. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. It didn't matter.


	29. KILL THEM BACK

_KILL THEM BACK_

* * *

"Prepare for transmat," Kain said only a second before he actually did it. Aro felt his ship dip low and his feet dropped onto metal with a loud echo. The other four dropped down behind him just seconds later.

The room they were in was circular, small and dimly lit. Surrounding the group were four large doors. Judging by the items kept close to each door and even the doors themselves, he could guess what or who was waiting for them on the other side.

Erek whistled, obviously impressed. "They've really changed this place up," he muttered.

"What do you know about it?" Kayla asked, doing a final check on her weapons.

"This place? Nothing. This is a completely new addition."

" _Gaaaurdians. Welcome…to Prison of Elderzz,"_ Variks' raspy voice echoed all over the chamber. The Vandal sounded excited, almost gleeful, " _Due to our recent breakout, the Queen has decided it is time to start to start clearing the trash out of her Prison. Neither she nor I can think of anyone more qualified."_

"Who do you keep here in the Prison, Erek?" Crona asked.

Erek barked out a humorless laugh, "Everyone."

" _It is time the Queen and her kingdom witnessed the legendary might of the Guardians. You are being watched, children of Light. By me, by her Highness and her subjects. Do not disappoint."_

"Ready yourselves," Daniel told them, cocking a Shotgun.

One of doors slowly opened, revealing what looked like hollowed out Servitor. Variks' guttural voice came from it, " _Round One. You faced the disgraced. The lost. The FALLEN!"_

"Fallen first?" Aro muttered, "House of Wolves, no doubt."

"No one else was dumb enough to attack the Reef," Kain pointed out.

" _Your orders are simple. They will try to kill yoooou. Guardians…"_ Variks's paused to let out another rattling laugh, " _KILL THEM BAAAAACK!"_

The Servitor flashed and disappeared, leaving only a short tunnel. Aro looked back at the others before entering. The slow walk became a jog and the door opened when they got near. The area housing the Fallen was empty, though doors were in the walls all around. It had the familiar, violet, hazy glow of the Reef but Fallen tech and junk littered the ground.

"Anybody see anything?" Crona asked, gun at the ready.

Aro shook his head, "No, not-" A line of red appeared on his radar, "We've got movement!"

Aro fired purely off instinct. A single, navy blue Dreg crumbled to the ground, missing its head.

Aro released the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"This is supposed to be training exercise," Crona muttered.

A crackle of static.

"Move!" Aro's warning came too late. A Stealth Vandal jumped at Kayla, striking her full on with its blades. She yelled out in pain and surprise, jumping away so her Ghost could heal any damage. More Stealth Vandals started to appear and attack. More Fallen started to enter the arena from where the first Dreg came out.

The team was forced to scattered. Aro ran at and jumped over a crowd of Fallen, dropping a Scatter grenade into the small group. Once in the ground again, he started to shoot down any survivors. More bladed Vandals were advancing on him, as well as bladed Captains. Aro's Auto roared as he switched from target to target, more focused on keeping them back. When the Auto ran dry, he switched to the Vestian Dynasty he had been giving without reloading the Auto. The unfamiliar weapon was as light weighted as it looked, and felt wild and uncontrollable. But it did its job and more fell with each pull of the trigger, leaving only one Captain.

The Captain kept to its head on charge, stepping over the bodies of its brethren. Aro took aim at its head and fired off the last shot.

The Captain ducked.

The surprise at being hit numbed the pain at first. But the Captain had broken through his defenses and managed to rend him across the chest.

In both pain and panic, Aro sent out a blast of Solar fire, causing the Captain to go reeling back. Aro took the precious few seconds to reload the Auto.

He let loose into the Captain. It's shields dropped and it reeled back again from the force of the bullets. It wasn't enough.

The gun ran empty a second time and the Captain recovered once again. The Fallen charged Aro a second time. This time it was Aro who ducked and sent a force palm into the side of the creature's head. The neck snapped back and the Fallen dropped to the ground mid charge, dying with a faint, wet gurgle.

Aro stopped to catch his breath. He swore, not caring who heard. Everything had happened so fast. The others seemed to be struggling as well. He saw a screaming Fallen Dreg go flying clear across the arena, probably thrown by one of the Titans.

" _Have you thought of your strategy yet, Aro? This is getting boring."_

Aro nearly jumped at Variks' sudden voice in his comms.

" _You know your enemy. You've seen your battlefield. If you want to survive the Vault, take them into account."_ The transmission cut before Aro could respond.

"Alright," the Warlock muttered, taking in his surroundings. He glided up to one of the upper platforms near the center of the arena. He could see everyone and could tell they really were struggling. Erek had already resorted to using his Arc Blade. Daniel was trying to throw Dregs off of himself.

" _The area. No good places for cover. Lots of tunnels and platforms,"_ Aro thought to Kain, " _Fallen…Fallen, they…they swarm!"_ Aro had lost count of the amount of times he had ran out of ammo when he took on a group of them. They took advantage of their massive numbers to overwhelm. Get them together and…

"Everyone, to the center of the arena!"

"Arrgh, get off of me!" Daniel roared at the Fallen hanging onto him, "And kind of busy at the moment!"

"Just do it! I've…I've got a plan," Aro said before running towards the open arena center. Kayla joined him first, followed closely by Erek and Crona. Daniel got there last.

"Kayla, block off that entranceway!" He ordered, pointing to the one behind their back. The Warlock turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. The amount of power the Exo was putting out could be felt in the air as she slowly spread them out. With a yell of exertion, she threw her arms up and a giant wall of fire shot up with them. Most of the Fallen stopped in their tracks and started to run the other way.

"Now?" Erek asked.

Aro dropped to one knee and took aim, "Now, let them come."

* * *

The Fallen were dropping like flies and Variks was cheering in their comms.

"Few left, Aro," Kain informed him, "These ones are strong."

Aro slammed his palm to the ground, causing a black sphere to appear near the incoming group of Fallen, using nothing but the sheer force of his will to forcefully draw them together.

Crona leapt forward and slammed down on top of the trapped group. The Fallen scattered in a blast of lightning and Light.

Nothing but Fallen corpses soon littered the arena ground. It was over. Aro dropped to one knee in order to ground his mind before it could start getting away from him. Toland's tricks required more mental interaction with the Void than he was used to. The last thing he needed was to start slipping. Behind him, he heard someone large and heavy drop to the ground with a grunt. Daniel, most likely. Aro smiled at the image.

"I had fun," Crona said, sarcastic and sounding like she was still trying to bring herself down, "You guys had fun? That was fun."

"Oh, shut up," Daniel bit out, sprawled out on the ground just as Aro had imagined him.

"Hey!" came a yell from Erek, followed by loud banging. He had walked back to the entrance and was banging on the door, which refused to open, "Open the damn door, Variks! We won. We're done here."

A few seconds of silence passed before the entire arena filled with guttural, barking laughter.

"What?" Erek yelled, this time at the sky itself, "What's so funny?!"

" _Enemies come, Guardians. Thirst for your Light."_

Erek's shoulders dropped in shock.

* * *

" _They are dead,"_ Variks laughed in his guttural, grating tone, " _You are not!"_

"Not for your lack of trying," Crona muttered as she roughly knocked off dust and ash from Cabal weapon fire.

"So four rounds, one with each race attacking the system, three waves each," Erek's Ghost recalled.

"Then there's all his stupid 'special objectives'," Erek grumbled, readjusting his cloak, "He could've told us to stand under the mines to dismantle them! Kept shooting like an idiot."

Kayla laughed tiredly.

" _One more round, Guardians. The final round…awaits."_ The Vex door slowly slid open.

"Ah and then the fifth final round," Erek's Ghost added, "Of course."

Aro was already walking, "Let's just get this over with."

Vex body parts still littered the arena from Round Three. Unlike before, a giant metal dome had been raised to almost the height of the Vex time gate.

" _So, Aro,_ " Kain whispered in his head, " _Who do you think is in-_ "

" _Time stalker of the Vex. The Overmind Minotaur!"_ The done slowly opened, revealing a Vex Minotaur several stories tall, staring at them like a dog stared at meat.

" _It's anybody's guess, Kain,"_ Aro whispered back.

" _Oh ha ha. Enjoy getting shot at._ "

Aro threw himself out of the way of an incoming blast. He ran away from the door, using a felled stone pillar as a ramp up to one of the higher walkways.

"Spread out!" He ordered, "It can't focus on all of us at once."

"We've got multiple Vex signatures moving into the area," Kain told everyone.

Aro felt the static before he heard it. He swiveled around and fired, blasting a Goblin to pieces in a shower of metal and white fluid. More were behind the first, appearing on the walkway with him.

A quick thought to his Ghost brought a Shotgun to his hand. Aro ran in close, ducking the Goblin's raised arm and firing. The droid flew off the walkway with a loud whine.

Aro released the first shell and fired at the next one. The gun kicked up higher than expected and the Hobgoblin's head went flying towards the back of the arena. Before the now berserk Vex could start tearing into him, Aro took the butt of his Shotgun and slammed it off the walkway, dropping a grenade after it for good measure.

All of a sudden, the entire walkway exploded and Aro was thrown from his perch. He righted himself in midair so he could land on his feet.

The Overmind Minotaur followed him, Torch Hammer firing energy blasts like it was on full auto. Aro jumped up and glided through the air, touching the ground only to boost himself up. The blasts trailed dangerously close.

A Line Rifle shot suddenly knocked him off balance and the Minotaur's attack hit him dead on. The blast knocked the gun from his hand and made him fall hard onto the sandy center of the arena. He could feel the Vex already advancing on him. Separate the group, then focus on one at a time. That's how they fought. He had been ready for only one Vex. Not this many.

Injuries still healing, Aro sent a wave from his palm, shattering a Goblin Vex before dropping to his knee again. The blood was roaring in his ears so loudly, it drowned out Daniel and Crona yelling his name as the Vex cut him off from them and bore down. It got to the point where he was surrounded by nothing but a sea of red eyes.

 _Red eyes._

His head started to throb. He screamed and fell over when a Hobgoblin shot a blast clean through his shoulder. The wound itched as Kain began to seal it. He brought his head up only to find himself face to face with a Hobgoblin's Line Rifle.

 _Wrath(A) holding a pistol to his head._

Aro ducked to the side to avoid a shot through the skull. He swept the legs out from under the robot and kicked it away. The throbbing in his head got even worse.

 _Wrath(K)'s cold, unnerving gaze locked on him._

The Overmind Minotaur's weapon knocked him several feet. He didn't feel any of it. The pain in his head made it impossible to feel anything else. And it continued to get worse and worse.

Until suddenly, everything stopped.

He felt and heard nothing. No gunshots, no Vex, not even his friends screaming his name.

The universe was silent. Until it filled with a horrible, piercing laugh and a sinister triumphant cry.

" _HAHAHAHA! THERE HE IS!"_

Then everything fell away.

* * *

Crona felt it before she heard it. The amount of power and Light flowing through the air skyrocketed. It felt just like before on the Moon. With Gluttony.

So it could only have one source.

A pillar of fire shot into the air at the center of the Vex arena, incinerating the Vex surrounding it. Even from so far away, waves of heat rolled over her.

"That's Aro, isn't it?" Erek asked quietly. Crona only nodded silently, never taking her eyes off the fire.

When the pillar finally fell, Aro stood at the center. Hunched over, shoulders heaving.

Just like on the Moon, Aro was staring down an enemy many times his size. Focused only on the Minotaur as if no one else was around.

Just like on the Moon, the monster screamed at him.

And just like on the Moon, Aro roared back.

The Warlock brought his hands sharply up, summoning two pillars of fire from under the Minotaur's feet. The giant Vex went teetering backwards, armor already blackened and fell against the back wall behind the time gate. The giant machine pushed itself off of the wall and charged Aro.

Aro's arms waved around, summoning roaring arcing streams of fire out of nothing but air, bringing them to slam into the Overmind Minotaur. The monster staggered and flinched with every hit. When it tried to shoot or step on Aro, the man had already Blinked elsewhere to continue his assault.

Crona doubted he could still be called a man right now. The enraged sounds he was making, the wild way he was fighting; it wasn't like him. He might as well have a different name.

Aro's onslaught continued. The other Vex began ignoring the others and teleporting towards Aro, the Minotaur calling on them. Aro simply twisted around and swing of one arm, nearly half of remaining Vex were destroyed.

The reinforcements that the giant Vex had called served as an adequate distraction. The Minotaur's blast caught Aro full in the head, shattering his helmet. Aro screamed in agony and grabbed his head and neck, the airless vacuum already pulling the oxygen out of his lungs. They could just barely see his eyes. The Radiant Light made him look even like a monster than he sounded. No pupils. Just bright, orange Light with angry wisps of flame jumping out from them.

" _He'll die soon,_ " Crona thought grimly, " _Then we can pull him out of there and finish the Minotaur."_

Then the Warlock did something she had never seen any Warlock or even any Guardian do before. Still helmetless, he scrambled around to face the giant damaged Vex and roared just like before. Only this time, a massive wave of fire blew forth from his mouth, smashing into the Minotaur and forcing it again against the back wall of the Vex Arena. It tried and failed to bring its arms up and block off the wave of fire coming from Aro's mouth.

Daniel recovered from his shock before the rest of them, "NOW! NOW! HIT IT NOW!"

Three Golden Gun shots came from Crona's left, a Nova Bomb from her right and the ground shook with the impact of Daniel and the lightning he carried with him traveled in a wave towards the Minotaur.

The stream of fire stopped. The Overmind Minotaur fell limply back against the wall and started to fall apart piece by piece, leaving only Aro, shoulders heaving and kneeling.

Crona got to him just as he fell backwards into her arms. The man's eyes were bloodshot and small streams of blood flowed from both corners of his mouth. Aro's eyes then fluttered closed and his breathing ceased, his Ghost appearing over his body.

" _Victory. Well earned."_

* * *

Aro trudged down the ramp of his ship, Crona following behind. She had elected to ride back on his ship to monitor him, much to Daniel's annoyance. His steps were clunky, loud and his eyes were tired and sunken. He hadn't spoken to anyone on the way back, despite attempts to talk to him.

Kain told them that Aro had died from going into shock, with the Ghost unable to bring him back down. Multiple vessels, including some in his brain, had ruptured. As far as the Ghost could tell, Aro had no memory of what had happened, which was troubling. He had remembered Gluttony rather well.

Petra and Variks were at the door out of the Hangar. Several Awoken soldiers had stopped what they were doing to whisper among themselves. Crona than remembered that their fight was broadcasted to most likely everyone in the Reef. A lot of people had seen what just happened.

Petra straightened up when they got closer, "Guardians, well. That was…"

Variks burst out in raucous laughter, making Crona flinch and Aro groan softly.

"I knew you would give us a good fight!" The Vandal chirped, still laughing. He hobbled closer to Aro, "At first I doubted. But you… _you_! You give me hope for this team. Dragon of Light!"

Aro scowled tiredly, "What of what?"

Variks laughed again, "Dragon of Light! I have you looked into your stories, Guardians. Your history. Across all cultures, your ancestors told of a beings with great power with the ability to inspire terror in all that cross it!"

"Plus the whole breathing fire thing," Erek interjected behind him.

Variks leaned even closer, "Now I know, Arochukwu. The Vex feel fear. You have made them afraid. For when they took your friend, they finally crossed you." The Fallen straightened up and started to walk back towards the door, "We will train you. Make you strong, quick! Soon, all your enemies will bow before the Will of the Light."

Variks left, the clanking of his staff echoing down the hall. Petra waited for the sound to quiet before speaking, "Theatrics aside, yes, we all saw what happened. For a lot of soldiers, this was the first time seeing a Guardian in action," she explained, "You five have already become quite the celebrities here."

"What Variks said," Kayla started, a gentle hand on Aro's shoulder, "Was our agreement in doubt?"

"Today was a test of your capabilities. And you more than passed, Guardians. In all my research, I never knew Warlocks could breathe fire."

"Neither did we," Kayla said.

"I still don't know," Aro muttered, talking for the first time in a while.

"And it was more of a scream," Erek finished.

"Whatever it was, Her Majesty is impressed. Your training will start in a few days. Get some rest, Guardians and Her Majesty has allowed you more freedom of the base. Do enjoy yourselves."

Daniel moved forward and nodded, "Thank you, Petra. We'll take our leave now." He put his hands on Aro's shoulders and helped him towards the door, Kayla and Crona behind them.

Erek stayed behind, "More freedom of the base? Why?" He asked, moving closer, "What's her game, Petra?"

The woman sighed and moved him towards the quietest part of the Hangar. "The Council has been expressing their qualms since your arrival and even more since the incident with your friend."

"They're still sticklers for tradition?"

"Naturally," she answered, "The Queen is hoping to use this to get you and your friends in good with the people. The positive reception of you may help change the Council's minds. Of course…your presence both helps and hinders."

"What do you mean?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"The estranged former Prince returning with no loyalty to anyone but the City. Your presence helps influence the minds of the citizens' but the Council look down on your being here."

Erek groaned, "The Council. The Council. It's always the damned Council!"

Petra let out the soft laugh, "The Queen is starting to agree."

The dark haired man sighed, "Thanks, Petra. We'll make sure to impress."

"See that you do," she started to leave, "I want to respect tradition. But we can't be left behind, Erek. Our enemies are getting stronger and the Reef Wars and Twilight Gap shows that we work best together. We can't continue to live in the past."

* * *

"Can't the two of you talk later? You need to rest," Daniel said.

"He might be right, Aro," Kayla agreed.

"Look, you said it's important," Aro argued, leaning against a wall out of the main hallway. He hoped he was coming off as capable but now he could barely stand.

"Yeah but-"

"Kayla."

She sighed, hands on her hips. She shook her hand, "Daniel, I'll make it quick."

He frowned and groaned, "Fine." He stalked back towards their room.

"I'll get to the point, Aro. It's Rasputin."

"It always is."

"Aro, I'm serious. He's been…acting strange for some time now. He moves into my mind more often than usual but then he forces himself out. It's weird!"

"Forces himself out?"

"Like he decided to come in but then runs out like someone forced him into my head. I don't understand it. I think it's-"

"Envy," Aro finished.

She looked away, "Yes. I think she's using Rasputin to force herself into my mind and he's trying to fight back."

She laughed bitterly, "Imagine if word got out, Aro. That Warminds can be influenced. Most likely by Exos."

"We never confirmed Envy was an Exo, Kayla."

"Won't stop anyone from blaming us, will it?"

Aro sighed, "You have a point."

She pushed up off the wall, "I'll keep on it. Maybe see what I can find out. You should get some rest. I can feel Danny burning a hole through the wall."

Aro laughed, "You're right. We still on for tomorrow?"

"Oh, uh...nah," Kayla decided, shaking her head, "You should rest for a few more days. I'll see you soon," she said, before disappearing down the hall.

Aro unlocked the door and let it slide half way before slipping in and locking it. Daniel was just getting out of the shower, running a towel through his hair. He paused to look at him, "You finish talking with Kayla?"

"Hmm? Oh! Yeah, yeah. Sure," Aro said, staring at his chest.

Daniel knew the look all too well. He sighed and looked away, trying to keep from smiling, "Go to bed, Aro. Nothing is happening." He took off the towel from his waist and put it over his shoulder, looking around for clean clothes.

" 'Nothing's happening,' he said, getting completely naked," Aro quipped, slowly heading for the bathroom.

"I've got nothing to be ashamed about," Daniel snarked back, "My body's a temple."

"Praised be the Traveler," Aro muttered, letting his hand run across Daniel's soft stomach as he walked past. Daniel flinched from the touch before laughing softly and pushing Aro's hand away.

Aro walked into the bathroom and closed the door, taking a look at himself in the mirror. He was a sight. Dark brown skin taking on an almost sickly pallor. Eyes sunken and bloodshot.

He sighed, "Kain. Was it as bad as everyone says?"

"You blasted the Overmind Minotaur apart."

"The last thing I remember was laughing and someone talking. Saying something to me."

"'There he is'," Kain recalled, "What do you think it meant? Who do you think it was?"

Aro leaned over the sink, "I couldn't begin to guess," he rubbed the side of his head, "Hurts just to think about it."

The Warlock let out another breath and turned on the shower, letting the steaming water wash away the turbulent thoughts in his head.

* * *

Sloth slowly walked down the hall, black hood up and head lowered.

He had no orders for the time being. But it left too much time to think. About his sister. His brother in law and his family. His nephew. Zavala. Ikora. Cayde. Crona.

Two Hive Acolytes stalked past him, going the opposite way. Even after this much time, he had to keep himself from striking them down, although he could. But he'd rather not draw attention. Pride was here.

He walked past the open walkway that led to Pride's area. A throne he had fashioned for himself that faced the door. The man was there, sitting in it. Legs stretched out and crossed, and hands clasped together. He didn't have to see Sloth to know he was there.

Even in the pitch black, Sloth could see him moving slightly as well as a dull white reflection. The sitting Herald's shoulders were shaking and the white flash was his teeth. It didn't take long for Sloth to put it all together.

Pride was laughing.

* * *

 _Daniel has a belly. It's canon. Its probably as hard as a rock but still_


	30. On The Homefront

_On the Homefront_

* * *

"He in?" Z asked, hugging Christine.

"Upstairs in his office. He might be sleeping." She greeted Akira and closed the door behind her.

"Maya?"

"The kitchen. She wants to try cooking again."

"Is that safe?"

"No. But she insisted. And she promised not to use any Voidwalker techniques again under threat of having her training sessions cancelled."

"Does your insurance take Guardians as an excuse?" Akira joked.

"They have before," she answered in all seriousness, "When Daniel and Tarlowe got into an argument and Daniel nearly fried every electrical appliance in the house."

Z barked out a laugh while heading up the stairs and towards the office. As predicted, Tarlowe was asleep; snoring loud enough to be heard from all the way across the huge office.

Z softly let the door close behind him. Tarlowe didn't stir. The man's strange sleeping habits had become something of a regular occurrence since the attack. At first, he couldn't sleep due to the pain. Then he couldn't sleep due to the depression.

Both were still there, of course, but something about the situation with Asura had given him a new purpose and invigorated his dedication to his old ones. When he wasn't designing and authorizing the creation of new weapons, he was searching through his father's notes for a key into the Archives.

He moved behind the sleeping man's chair and pressed a button near the closed window, opening the shades and letting copious amounts of light in.

Tarlowe shifted and groaned but otherwise did not wake up. Fed up already, Z shoved his shoulder.

Tarlowe jerked and latched onto the desk like he always did whenever the wheelchair started moving without him controlling it. With the startled, wide eyed look on the man's face, Z was no longer keeping quiet.

"What did I tell you about showing up announced?" Tarlowe growled, roughly shaking off his friend's hand.

"Probably the same thing I, my wife, your younger brother, your younger sister, your _youngest_ sister and even Ikora have told you about staying up well into the night." Z leaned back against the window again, an expectant look on his face.

Tarlowe's glare became slightly less severe but remained as it always did. He silently turned back to his computer and continued working.

"Don't get me wrong, Tarlowe," Z started, turning his head to look out the window, "I'm glad to see you working again. But what is it that's got you staying up so many late nights?"

"Nothing. It's just work," Tarlowe muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

"You never used to spend this much time on work."

"Well, I was able to do other things before, Z." Tarlowe's tone was cutting.

Z turned from the window and met his gaze, "You're right. I'm sorry."

Tarlowe's hard eyes softened, "No, I am. Things have just been difficult lately."

"Asura. Your father's old work on the Archives," Z looked at the computer, unable to decipher what any of the information was saying.

Tarlowe shook his head, "Not just the Archives. A…weapon. A powerful one. Dad dropped all efforts on it after my mother died. I've been hoping to complete it. But it's missing a piece and I have no idea what it is."

"He left you with the password?"

"No. Spent the last two years trying to figure it out. Finally decided to use Maya's Ghost and…get deeper into his old files."

"You hacked his files."

Tarlowe groaned, "You don't need to say it like that!"

"But that's what it is."

"Anyway…ever since Gluttony went berserk on the Moon, I've put more focus on completing it. I want to help give Daniel and his clan every advantage they can get."

"Awfully noble of you," Z chortled.

"I can be very noble!" Tarlowe defended, "Especially when my family is involved."

"I understand. I've kind of been doing the same for some time now."

"What do you mean?"

"The Consensus has been getting…suspicious; since the Moon and since what happened with…Greed. Neither the Speaker nor the Vanguard will disclose what occurred and how this new, upstart clan, the Will of Light, managed to beat it. I've been doing what I can to ease the political pressure."

Tarlowe forced any emotion that welled and the mention of Greed back down and turned to look at his friend. "They're suspicious of the Will of Light?"

"Yes. Mainly Aro. But yes, them in general," Z shook his head, "Ikora told me of this same thing happening before. She's worried."

"If she's worried, we all should be. Who did it happen with?"

"Osiris. I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Who hasn't?"

"The factions are always at the Tower, vying for Guardians to join their cause," Z explained, "The stronger the Guardian and the bigger their feats, the more political power they can wield."

"And the Consensus is afraid of that?"

"Afraid only if they can't pull the Guardian to their side. Osiris was…exceptionally powerful. Not only that but he was High Commander of every Guardian. He refused to bow to the factions nor the Consensus and they wanted him gone. His experiments with the Vex gave them ammunition and they used it until the Speaker had no choice."

"Did Lord Saladin ever deal with this?"

Z shook his head, "No. Lord Saladin was already too far above all of this because of his feats during the Dark Age. Plus, he made it clear he would appoint a replacement and leave the City. He wasn't a threat."

"But with Will of Light?"

"No loyalty to anyone but the Vanguard. Took down the House of Devil's Archon and Prime Servitor, settled the panic on the Moon, found and revived the Russian Warmind, found out one of their own is a Warmind herself and just recently, they've taken down the House of Wolves' Archon, the House of Winter's Kell, an ancient shrine to a Hive God-King, and the Venusian Nexus Mind."

Tarlowe chuckled, "So they're impressed, grateful and terrified."

"Mostly terrified. Now they've been chosen as ambassadors to the Reef. It's not improving. Just felt you should be warned since your brother is in the middle of it."

"I appreciate it. Really," Tarlowe let out a breath, "With everything that's going on and everything has happened, it's nice to have some damn clarity of things."

"Glad I could provide some. Shit…" Z just now noticed that the sun was almost completely set. "Hope I didn't take up too much of your time."

"Not at all. The distraction was pretty welcome. I'll make sure Christine hears everything you've told me."

Z stood up, "Anything else you wanted to discuss?"

"Uh, I'm sure you've heard of Envy by now, right?" Tarlowe remembered, slowly moving the chair out from under the desk.

"Yeah, the Sunsinger Herald." Z shook his head and waited for him to catch up before they started slowly towards the door. He hadn't even realized the sun was going down, "Hey, you ever notice how the Heralds seem to follow a pattern?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like two Hunters, two Titans and now a second Warlock; each using one of their field's subclasses," Z explained. He looked down with an incredulous smile, "C'mon, how have you never noticed?"

"Well I've been busy! As you saw today," Tarlowe sounded defensive but humorous, "So what do you think Pride is? He's obviously a Guardian. Or at least a Light bearer."

"When I was younger, Lord Saladin would tell me of a third ability each school of Guardians had," Z recalled the old man's stories, imitating his gravely voice, " 'Titans that rained fire down on the battlefield. Warlocks that could call lightning down from the sky with nothing but a thought. Hunters who wielded a bow and arrow and could avoid being seen until their blade was dragging across your throat.'"

"You think Pride is one of those?" Tarlowe asked.

Z laughed, "Or all three!"

"This is actually funny to you?" Tarlowe accused, laughing along with him.

"Got to laugh to keep from pissing myself in fear," Z calmed down, a small smile still on his face.

"You afraid?"

"I confess, I am," Z murmured, "Afraid of what the future holds for all of us. If we don't win and what that means for my family. If we do win…and who might not be there to see it." Z sighed deeply, "Like Asura. The news was like a punch to the gut."

"Yeah. Like Asura," Tarlowe murmured in agreement. They continued down the hall together, Tarlowe avoiding his friend's eyes for the rest of the walk.

* * *

" _Akira and Z are there?_ " Daniel asked, leaning closer to the camera.

"Yeah," Maya answered, closing and packing the last of her books for tomorrow.

" _You know they don't know anything about what we're doing here, right? And they can't._ "

"Yeah, yeah, we know," she yawned, sitting down in front of the screen.

" _Good_ ," Daniel sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, " _So what's been going on? How's school?_ "

"A waste of time. I already know what I'm going to be right after," she muttered. As if on cue, her Ghost flew past behind her.

Daniel smiled, " _True. But no excuse."_

"I figured."

" _Anyway, I'm just checking in. Wanted to see how everyone was doing."_

"Will you…be coming back? Before your mission?"

" _We've been granted some time to return beforehand. Don't worry."_

She smiled and continued to worry anyway. She turned away from the computer to put more things into her bag.

" _And Maya?"_

"Yeah?" Maya turned back towards the screen. Her eyes widened when she saw Daniel holding up his thumb, pointer and middle finger to the screen; just like she had shown him nearly a month ago.

Maya blushed and Daniel's teasing smile grew wider. She abruptly cut the transmission; with the last sound she heard being his laughter.

Maya crawled into bed as A.J settled onto her desk. She was still embarrassed that she ever thought up that hand sign but she couldn't help but fall asleep smiling at the fact that he remembered it.

* * *

"Josef, hurry up," Aveline complained, eyes fluttering and head balanced on her hand. She knew there was nothing exciting about chess but she still agreed to the game.

"You can't rush perfection, dear sister."

"I'm not rushing perfection. I'm rushing you!"

"Same shit."

"It's only chess, it's not that serious!" The Hunter exploded.

"Shut up, I'm gonna win," Josef muttered, leaning even closer to the game board.

"You're off your game today," she commented, "You usually win these."

"And I'm going to again," he shot back, finally moving a piece.

Aveline took only seconds to move hers, "Checkmate," she sighed, turning away to start cleaning her nails with her knife. She felt Josef's heavy head hit the desk followed by a long annoyed groan, "Oh grow up."

"Shut up," he lifted his head and balanced on his hand, "You hear from our people on the Reef?"

Aveline stopped, "In general or…?"

"Either one," he replied, resetting the chessboard, "Just want to know if we're still on or if they've decided to give up."

"You mean you want to know if we have to keep lying to Aashir."

Josef leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh. "Is it lying if we haven't really discussed it with him?" He asked with a meekness that was completely unlike him.

"It is, Josef." Aveline turned back to her brother. Josef had no issue lying. Ikora wouldn't have recruited him for her Hidden if he did. Why it was a problem now was beyond her.

She tried to change the subject around. "You know, I think that was the first time I've won at chess in a while."

"Congrats," he grumbled, still staring down at the board.

"So either you let me win…"

"You couldn't pay me."

"Or you're distracted by more than just lying." Aveline smiled, "So who is she?"

His eyes shot up and his tan brown skin flushed red, exactly the response she was hoping for. He shook his head frantically and squawked, "Sh-she's no one!"

Aveline leaned on the table, enjoying this way too much, "But there is a she?"

"No! There is no she!"

A fake apologetic look crossed the Hunter's face, "You're right, I apologize. I shouldn't have made assumptions. Who is _he_?"

Josef reddened to the tips of his ears. Aveline smiled and patiently waited for him to find his voice again, "There's nobody, Aveline!" He was definitely annoyed and approaching irritated but her brother was smiling. She got what she wanted; his mind off of Aashir and the Vault.

But when it came to her brother's discomfort, there was no such thing as 'enough'.

"Are you sure? You're blushing like hell," Aveline darted around the table and wrapped a tight arm around her Josef's shoulder, leaning in, "C'mon, what does he look like? Is he taller than you? Stupid question, damn near everyone is."

The Titan choked down a laugh and pushed against her. Aveline knew he wasn't trying because she barely budged. If he actually were trying, she'd have flown across the room and slammed into the wall. Maybe even through it. It's happened before. Captain Andal had ordered them to rebuild the wall by hand when he had finally come down from a fit of laughter.

Her smile faltered slightly at the memory.

"C'mooon, is he cute?"

Josef stuttered, "I…I." Aveline's eyebrows shot up.

"Josef? Aveline!" A voice boomed, drawing their attention.

Aashir stomped into the room and the door shut close behind him. The unmovable face somehow managed to look angrier than it had ever been.

Aveline straightened up and Josef got out of the chair. It's obvious what this was about.

Aashir stopped before them, just staring. Then he started to pace. It was a while before he actually spoke. "You joined them," he seethed.

Josef didn't speak. Aveline did for the both of them, "Yes, we did."

"After you were explicitly ordered not to!"

"Yes, we did."

"WHY?!" The Exo exploded, "Why would you join them?!"

"Because it's right!" Aveline argued.

"Its mutiny!"

"That doesn't it make it any less right!"

Josef remained silent. Aashir groaned loudly, his usual composure long gone, "Do you know the position you've put me in? If I was to report this to the Vanguard, you'd go down with them!"

Aveline shrugged, "Makes this a pretty easy decision, doesn't it?"

"No! Cause I'm actually considering it!"

Aveline had nothing to say to that. So Aashir continued, pacing again, "To be honest, I don't care about the others."

Aveline crossed her arms, "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said! I don't care about them. They could all get themselves killed for all I care. That's how I feel."

Aveline scoffed and looked around, unable to believe what she was hearing. Even Josef seemed appalled.

"But you two don't need to." Aashir pointed away, as if they were outside, "That is the Vault of Glass. That is Wrath. Two of them! We barely survived Envy!"

"So we just leave Asura to them?"

"Asura left us!"

Aveline's mouth opened to argue back but Josef suddenly cut her off,"Asura did nothing!" His patience was gone. "Asura is being controlled! Asura is being held captive! Did you really expect us to sit by and let him stay there? On your say so?! Does this clan really mean that little to you?"

Aashir's shoulders lowered and he gave Josef a strange curious look. "Why do you care?" Aashir questioned softly, "This is just an assignment from Ikora. Another job. We lose people all the time; why is Asura any different?"

"Why were we?" Josef asked back, his tone just as soft.

"What?"

"You said 'We lose people all the time. Why is Asura any different' and I'm asking, why were we?" Josef said, "You could've left us to die on Venus. Prevented the Heralds from obtaining an important piece of Vex technology but you gave it up for our lives."

Aashir drew closer "That was different. This is the Vault of Glass we're talking about! If your father-"

"You leave my father out of this!" Josef growled threateningly , drawing even closer in.

"Josef, listen-"

"No, you listen!" The Titan cut him off, sticking a finger in his face, "You want to know why we've 'gone against orders'?"

"Yes, I do!"

"It's because of exactly what happened on Venus." Josef's hand lowered to his side and his broad shoulders fell, "You always go on and on about the importance of the mission; following orders, no matter the risk or the cost. Then Envy happened."

"You gave up that piece for our lives," Aveline said, her tone no longer angry or accusing, "You went against our orders to save us, Aashir. Doesn't the same principle apply?"

"And isn't that what clans do for each other? You used to always going on about the Iron Lords; their deeds, their heroism but whenever you talked to Lord Saladin about it, he always brought up how they stood up for each other. No matter what." Josef shook his head and grabbed his jacket, "And here I was; thinking you were actually listening to the man." Josef roughly put on the coat and left without a look behind him.

Aashir stood there, hands clenched into fists but said nothing. The man's shoulders were slumped and his eyes faced the ground. He looked more tired than she had ever seen him. He obviously wasn't getting any kind of rest and despite his recent behavior, she couldn't help but worry.

Aveline moved slower to gather her own things, packing away the chessboard her brother left behind. Aashir's soft voice stopped her, "You'll die. You know that, right?"

Aveline turned her head slightly, "Maybe. Maybe not," she answered softly, "But isn't that the case with everything we do?"

Aashir didn't respond.

"Back on Venus, Envy asked if your life matters to the people you sacrifice yourself to protect. I'm not an Exo, Aashir. I don't know what you go through or how you're treated out there. But your life does. It matters to me, to Josef, probably to everyone in this clan." She turned to face him, "But so does Asura's. And even if it means putting up with Wrath(A), we're going to do what we can. Because he's one of us and it's the right thing to do. There doesn't need to be any other reason."

She left quietly, leaving Aashir alone in the room. His Ghost appeared in front of him, "Your thoughts are chaotic, Aashir. What are you thinking?"

Aashir limply sat down in one of the chairs and put his face in his hands, "I don't know. I don't fucking know."

He shook his head sadly, "I came in here. I hoped to stop them; get them to see reason. But they won't. They won't. It's just like Marie all over again." He leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling, mouth open slightly.

"I'm going to lose them, Fel," he muttered, "I…I have to tell them. I have to tell the Vanguard."

"You know I'll stand by you, no matter what you decide. But I can't tell if you meant it when you said you don't care about the other clan members."

"No," Aashir mumbled, "It was a shameful thing to say."

The Warlock stood and started to walk towards the exit, the world seeming to twist around his eyes. "I have to tell the Vanguard. They'll hate me. I know that. And they'll never forgive me. But at least they'll be alive to do it."

* * *

The bar was almost empty. A strange occurrence for this time of night. A hand clapped onto Josef's shoulder. He didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Thought I'd find you here," Aveline remarked, sitting down next to him and ordering her own drink.

Josef chuckled, "Am I that predictable?"

"I asked Amanda to be sure but yeah, you are," she smiled sadly, "Are you alright?"

"I will be. That was trying. You?"

The drink was placed in front of her and she nodded her thanks to the server frame, "Same."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, "Nah. I'm on break. And no-

"No discussing work on break. Yeah, I know. I know."

"Besides," Aveline spun her drink around, "I'd rather talk about this mystery guy of yours."

Josef's eyes rolled towards the ceiling but he smiled, "Do you really want to know?"

Aveline leaned in, eyes wide and almost manic, " _Pleeeease._ "

Despite himself and everything, Josef broke into a fit of laughter.


	31. Greed the Defender Part III

_Takes place_ _ **two years**_ _after Part II. Hopefully I got the angst down right_

* * *

 _Greed the Defender Part III_

* * *

Someone knocked on the door. The sound didn't even register with Vell until his Ghost snapped him out of his daze. He still didn't move. He had been staring at the wall for what must have been hours, his mind still numb from the events of the day before.

A small and almost empty courtroom in a rarely visited and often avoided part of the Tower. The Speaker, Ikora, Zavala and Andal sitting high up off the ground at the front of the room. And at the center, in handcuffs and awaiting his judgment was Toland. His white hair unusually unkempt and his face pointed to the ground, unable to look anyone in the eye.

Vell could feel burning anger well up in the pit of his stomach. He had warned him. He told Toland that something like this would happen if he took his experiments too far. But Toland had been a man obsessed and continued despite what Vell had said. Now there he was, getting what he was asking for with the nerve to have his head down. Like a child more disappointed in himself that he got caught rather than regretting his own actions.

During the initial trial, Toland said little to defend his actions of interacting too deeply with Hive mysticism and technology. It was the same argument he always used when he defended his actions against Vell's and Eris' objections. "We need power. Why not take it?" He would always say, followed by claims of how tired he was of always being on the defensive in this war. Whether he was telling the truth or not didn't matter; he knew it was a good way of getting Vell to melt and stand down. Talks of starting a family when otherwise they'd be too afraid of losing one another to actually go through with it.

As of today, all those talks meant nothing. Toland's actions, by precedent, deserved execution and Ghost destruction but due to his exemplary service to the City and the soft spot Ikora would never admit she had for him, he'd simply be exiled with a few of the weapons and one set of armor he had collected over his years of battle. The rest would be put into the Tower's armories, to be used by other Guardians. Another Guardian was to drop him off somewhere of his choice and from then on, he'd be on his own.

He would not be allowed a Warlock bond. He was no longer a member of the order. Ikora's charity did not extend that far.

Another knock. Vell stood up this time, lumbering over to the door and opening it slightly. It was Eris who peered up at him, her eyes a reflection of his own.

"Vell, it's time," she said, barely above a whisper, "He'll be leaving soon."

"I'll be out there in a second," he muttered, closing the door without waiting for her response. Right now, he's appearance was the last thing on his mind but he still took the time to make himself look presentable, switching out of the clothes he fell asleep in and running a comb through his hair.

Eris was waiting for him outside the door, staring at the opposite wall. Without a word, she started walking. Without a word, he followed.

No stopped them to talk outside of the few polite greetings from those they passed. The trial was rather high profile; everyone from the Rank IV veterans to the new Guardians who hadn't even completed basic training knew and were talking about it. Some stopped in their whispering and stared as he and Eris walked past, others had the decency to pretend they did not notice. Those who knew Vell and Eris personally nodded at them with a look of poorly masked pity before continuing to talk with whoever.

One onlooker stood out. At least to Vell, he did. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to him when Josef and Aveline were named Guardians the previous year, giving who their mother was. But it did. And as it did their father.

Vell would've stopped to talk if today had been a normal day. The kid would understand.

As expected, Toland was in the Hangar with the Vanguard. Zavala and Andal were walking away, nodding to Eris and Vell as they passed. Ikora remained with Eriana-3 at her side. Ikora remained stoic and her voice remained even. Toland spoke only to answer any questions.

Toland then turned and walked up the ramp of the ship that would be transporting him. Eriana shook her head in what was most likely disgust and walked back towards Wei-Ning and Sai Mota, her team. Only Ikora remained, staring up the ramp after him.

The Warlock turned her head at Vell's and Eris' approach. Both put their fists to their chests; a salute. Ikora waved her hand dismissively and Eris moved past her and up the ramp.

"Master," Vell rumbled in greeting.

"Vell," she responded in kind, "You're here to say your goodbyes?"

"Yes." The stab of pain in his chest kept him from elaborating, "Who will be taking him?"

"A friend of Cayde's. Shiro-4, I believe is his name. He's allowed to be taken anywhere except Mercury, the Moon, the Reef and past." She turned to look up at him. Her eyes softened, but her voice remained strong, "You understand why it couldn't be you or Eris?"

"Yes, we do." He looked back up at the ramp, "Though it would never happen."

"We don't have to find out." She turned to leave, "He leaves within the hour, Vell and after, he is to have no further contact with the City or its citizens. Any unsanctioned meetings between you, Eris and him will result in your own trial. Am I clear, Guardian?"

"Crystal, ma'am," he grunted.

This time, her voice softened, "This shouldn't have happened, Vell. I should've been more vigilant. If you find me responsible, I do not blame you."

"You did nothing wrong, Master."

A humorless laugh, "I wish I could believe you. I'm sorry." With that, she walked away.

"As am I," he muttered to the empty space.

He finally started up the ramp, the Hunter who must've been Shiro passing him by on the way. Eris was just pulling out of a hug with Toland and was wiping her eyes. Vell stood at the entrance, waiting to be noticed. When he was, Eris walked out of the ship, leaving him and Toland alone.

Neither said a thing. They just stared for what seemed like hours. It was Vell who moved first, walking towards the armory terminal and struggling to keep his voice even, "Everything set?"

Toland nearly jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, "Just same last preparations but yes." His voice was soft and timid, completely unlike him.

Vell scrolled through the terminal, "I don't see Shadow Price," he said, looking for the gun Toland designed himself.

"Yes, I…I'm leaving it here."

"Why?" Vell asked, more curt than planned.

"For you and Eris. To protect yourselves with." Vell heard the sound of things being moved behind him.

"You could've protected us," Vell muttered.

The moving stopped, "What?"

"I said, you could've protected us." He shut down the terminal and this time, made sure he was heard.

"Vell-"

"How many times? How many times did I warn you that one way or another, this stupid obsession with the Hive would get you into trouble?"

"Vell, please," Toland pleaded, "I only wanted what was best-"

"No," Vell roughly cut him off, "Do not stand here and act like you were thinking about anyone but yourself. This whole… _thing_ has been your sole focus for years now. You weren't thinking about the City, you weren't thinking about Eris and you certainly weren't thinking about me!" Vell was yelling now, tears welling up; not caring if he was heard, "What do you want me to tell the kids, huh? Tarlowe, Christine, Daniel and Maya are never going to see you again and they don't even get a chance to say goodbye."

Vell calmed down and tears started to fall from both eyes, "But you don't care. You don't. And you probably never did."

"That's not true."

"You never loved me."

"I've always loved you!" Toland was yelling now, "Traveler, ever since we first met, you've taken up a part of my heart. Every time I saw you or Eris get hurt, my heart fell into my stomach. This war is going nowhere and I couldn't stand to watch you die because of it. The Light has shown time and time again to not be enough, Vell! What do you want me to do?"

With that, Vell knew the conversation was over. He stepped away, "What do I want you to do? I _wanted_ you to stay." He let out a breath, "But you've made that impossible. Now? Do what you want, Toland. As you always have. And when you finally piss off the wrong… _thing_ , just keep it away from my family."

Vell didn't bother waiting for a response. He started to walk out of the ship, leaving Toland behind. Sera, his Ghost, appeared in front of his face, "Vell, stop."

"Why?"

"Don't leave it like this, Vell. You'll never forgive yourself."

Half of Vell wanted to force his Ghost back into him. The other half knew she was right.

He turned and looked back up the ramp at Toland, staring sorrowfully down at him. Vell slowly started back up, "With everything that's happened, I…I can't be sure what I actually meant to you."

Toland stepped closer, "The world, Vell."

"You could've shown me that. You could've stopped." They were chest to chest now, "You could've listened."

"I know," Toland choked out, burying his head in Vell's chest, "I know."

Vell grabbed Toland's head with both hands and kissed him. It was forceful and desperate; nothing like all the ones before. They parted but held onto each other, foreheads pressed together.

"You say I mean the world to you. I want to believe you."

"You do, Vell."

"Regardless." Vell brought his head up to gaze into his eyes, "You've always meant everything to me. You still do. And you always will. I can't, in good conscience, let you leave without knowing that."

There was nothing left to say after that. Vell disembarked and watched Shiro place thick handcuffs onto Toland's wrists. He and Eris watched the ramp lifted up slowly, getting their last view of the the man. They remained as the ship started, pulled out and made the flight to orbit. They even remained for hours after until the sun started to go down, Vell completely numb by then.

Eris mumbled something about going to bed and Vell did not stop her nor did he follow. Only after regaining a sense of himself did he notice the noise coming from the Lounge. And a strong drink never hurt anyone.

* * *

Vell walked through the front door of his brother's home, Toland's key heavy in his pocket.

It was late. He knew no one was awake. At least no one should be. One person always was.

He walked into Adrian's office without knocking. Adrian probably wouldn't have noticed him anyway, hunched over his computer and typing away furiously. He looked like he hadn't bothered to fix himself up that morning. Another day at home for him.

"Adrian?" Vell called, walking to the desk, "Adrian?!"

The man jumped, his eyes wild, "Vell! I-I wasn't expecting you. Or Eris-"

"Eris is here?"

He blinked, "Yeah, she's in your room. She looked heartbroken." Adrian stood, concern scrawled across his face, "How are you?"

It took everything Vell had to not break down right there. It wasn't enough to stop the tears from falling again.

Adrian walked around the desk and Vell felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso. Vell leaned into his older brother, wrapping his own arms around his neck. They didn't part until Vell pulled away, Adrian fully prepared to hold him as long as he needed. "I'm sorry," Vell sniffed, "I know you're busy."

Adrian smiled and shrugged, "You come first. But I should get back to it."

"What are you working on?" Vell asked, letting him pass.

"I, uh…" Adrian's eyes shifted to the door.

Vell jerked a thumb at it, "Should I…"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Vell closed and locked the door. Adrian still looked nervous. "What I'm about to tell you stays between us, Vell," he said, "Do you understand?"

"What are you doing, Adrian?" Vell asked, now worried.

"Have you heard of the Ishtar Archives?"

"The Speaker mentioned it once or twice. All I know is that no one has been able to get in for centuries."

"That's because the security system has been taken over, Vell."

"The entire Ishtar…" Vell shook his head, "Nothing is that strong. Not even the Vex can get in."

"Nothing? What about an A.I stronger and more knowledgeable of Earth technology than the Vex?" Adrian asked.

"There's nothing like that out there, Adrian. What are you getting at?"

"Think about it, little brother."

Vell did think about it and drew nothing but blanks. It was not lost on him how easily Toland would have figured this out. He numbly wondered where the Warlock was now.

Sera suddenly appeared over Vell's shoulders, "What about a Warmind?"

Vell frowned, "That's-" He was cut off by the look of triumph on Adrian's face. "Ridiculous," Vell finished, "They're all dead!"

"Not exactly. Didn't you tell me about those weird signals the Tower has been picking up for the last, what, eleven years?"

"Well, yeah but-"

"The ones in Kenya, the United States and Old Russia correct?" Adrian started typing.

"Yes but-"

Adrian made the holographic screen of his computer turn around and opened a file. It was an audio file and the voice speaking was inhumanely deep and unintelligible."

Sera floated closer, "Vell…its speaking Russian!"

Adrian shrunk the screen and brought up another next to it with a second audio file. The voice was exactly the same.

"This file is one of the few recovered from the Golden Age," Adrian said quietly, "It's a recording of the first operational days of the Russian Warmind, Rasputin."

Vell couldn't believe it. Here he was, hearing it, but he still couldn't believe it. A Warmind, alive?

He had to sit down for fear of his legs giving out from under him, "What…what does he want?"

Adrian gestured to the other things on his desk. A watch, bracelet, pendant and two gold bands; his and his wife's wedding rings, "He's been telling me how to create keys to get into the Vault and access its information."

"Why?" Vell sputtered, barely aware that he was holding his breath.

The audio files disappeared. Adrian leaned forward, still very obviously nervous, "He keeps talking about the Vault of Glass. Something's wrong and whatever it is, it was enough to pull Rasputin out of _centuries_ of hiding. There's something going on in there and he wants me to find out what."

Vell stood again, "You can't just go into the Vault of Glass!"

"I'm not going into the Vault. Rasputin has stored information inside the Archives that may be able to get a team of Guardians through the Vault safely and end what the Vex are planning."

"How exactly, Adrian?" Vell started pacing.

"Well…" He looked down at the objects, "They're all keys. One will allow access into the Archives. Another is a sort of weapon, the details are hazy. And the third will allow a team to into the Vault."

"The last time we sent a team into the Vault ended in disaster, Adrian. What makes this supposed second attempt any different?"

"Uh, well for one, you only sent two people. I really don't know who thought that was a good idea but that's what you did. And two, the info is a map, probably."

"A map?"

"Probably." Adrian stood up, "When it's time, I want to go into the Archives and get ahold of the info. And I want you to go in with me. As my protection."

"You know I can't do that. The Vanguard would never allow it."

"You can help me convince them!"

"Do you know how dangerous Venus is?!"

Adrian raised his hands placatingly, "I know. I know. That's why I'm asking you! You're the only man I trust, Vell."

"This…this is a lot, Adrian." Vell's eyes lowered to the ground, "I'm sorry, I can't decide this right now."

"I…" Adrian paused with his mouth open, eyes looking over his younger brother's face. A guilty expression washed over him, "No, I'm sorry. You've been through a lot today and it was wrong of me to put this on you." The older man sat down back behind his desk, "If it makes you feel better, I'm nowhere near done. A year, if I'm lucky. And if I never leave the house."

Vell smiled, "I understand."

Adrian did too, "Get some rest. I'm here if you want to talk in the morning."

The only sound in Vell's room was the sound of Eris breathing. He saw the lump under his covers and it ached to know that it wasn't who it always was before. And it never would be again.

He changed out of his street clothes as quietly as he could, putting everything away nearly; a habit he had picked up from constant arguments with Toland. He laughed quietly, despite himself.

Pulling on a pair of shorts, he started back towards the bed before he stopped and turned around. Fishing into his jeans pocket, he pulled out the paper he had brought from the Tower.

He went back to the bed and sat at the edge, opening the folded sheet. Sera appeared to provide him some light.

It was that song. The one Toland always sang to Maya to calm her down. The one he hummed to himself on a regular basis. Oddly profound, for a song discovered from an old game. Now, even Vell found himself mumbling the words.

" _The night is long and the path is dark_ ," Vell muttered under his breath, " _Look to the sky, for one day soon_ …" he paused, reading the last four words over and over.

The words meant things were supposed to get better. No matter how bad things were, they always did if one had the strength to keep going. But what did that mean for him? For Eris? Toland was never coming back. Vell would never get to see him smile, hear him laugh or run his hand through his hair while he slept ever again.

If there was a dawn in sight, he couldn't see it. And if the new day didn't include the man he loved, he wasn't so sure he wanted to.


	32. Rekindling

_Rekindling_

* * *

Wrath(A) groaned softly and fell back against the stone wall, watching Wrath(K) work. They had been there for…he realized he wasn't sure how long. The Vault somehow disabled his ability to keep track of time. Outside, months could've passed for all he or Asura knew.

The wait was long and exhausting but it certainly wasn't boring. Vex moved in and out of the Glass Throne, sometimes stopping to stare him as they passed. Whether or not they saw the Light inside him or if they simply saw another foreigner, he couldn't be sure. Most of the time, he and the Titan Herald were the only ones in the area.

At least until Pride decided to make a visit.

Wrath(K) had told him that the Vault is closed off to their reality. He likened it to Hive Throneworlds and even mentioned that it was from the Hive the Vex got the idea of the Vault. The Heralds weren't strong enough to just jump in and out like they always would before. That limitation apparently didn't apply to Pride. Wrath(A) didn't know if it was because he held some kind of special privilege or because he was just that damn powerful.

Wrath(A) felt him before he heard him. A presence behind him. Then when he did hear him, the heart he didn't have fell into a stomach that wasn't there. There was nothing inhuman about his voice that made him uneasy and it was just that fact that frightened him.

Pride really was just a man.

The oldest of the Heralds spoke to him. Asked him questions and for the third time, assured his loyalty under the implied, unspoken threat of death. He spent most of his short time there speaking to Wrath(K), who showed little to no reaction to Pride's arrival. He was the first chosen Herald and had been with Pride for a very long time. Either he had become used to Pride's presence or he had spent the long years practicing his acting.

Asura continued to try and regain control, no matter how hopeless it seemed. Every once in awhile, Wrath(A) would feel a finger move or his foot shift without his command. Once, Asura actually managed to force their body to stand. Wrath(K) only needed one massive hand on his chest to hold him down until Wrath(A) regained control.

When he wasn't trying to take over their body and hobble out of the Vault, Asura was raving at him. Screaming insults and threats one second and desperately calling out for Spirit the next. She never answered. Wrath(A) wouldn't let her, no matter how much the Ghost pushed against him. It was exhausting, constantly fighting against two different beings. The sooner he was rid of both of them, the better.

Pride's arrival was the only time he grew quiet. Wrath(A) couldn't blame him.

"How much longer?" Wrath(A) asked. Wrath(K) kept working, not answering. Then suddenly, Wrath(A) heard something behind him rumble and shift. He stumbled off of the block he was sitting on and turned around. Blocks of stone started to move away from a certain spot, revealing a space shining with bright light.

"Step in," Wrath(K) rumbled.

Wrath(A) gave him as much of an incredulous look as his metal face could manage. Wrath(K) simply looked right back, making it clear that he actually was serious and that he wasn't going to repeat himself.

Wrath(A) moved towards the open chamber, taking on tentative step after the other. When he reached the entrance, he heard Wrath(K) boom, "Back towards the wall. Turn and face me." The Hunter quickly obeyed.

"Grab onto the handles."

Wrath(A) did. The handles suddenly extended and clamped onto his wrists. At the same time, thick pillars rose around his ankles and closed around them, restraining him completely in place.

"Could you explain what it is we're doing now?" Wrath(A) called, trying to keep his apprehension out of his voice.

Wrath(K) had resumed working, not answering him for sometime. Then he started to walk back and came to stop on strange pad, blindingly white surrounded by gray stone.

"This chamber will manipulate time and space around you," Wrath(K) said, "Time will be reversed around you. Doing so will turn you back into the Herald you were before."

Wrath(A) narrowed his eyes, "That can't be all there is to it."

"I plan to form a Time Bridge and reverse time around you by several thousand years. By the time it is done, you will have no memories of the events that came after meeting your Ghost because you will have never met her. Both the Ghost and Asura will cease to exist. Wrath will be all that is left."

Wrath(A) had only a few seconds to process what he was just told before his hand suddenly tried to rip out of the restraints. Asura was screaming in his head, louder than he ever was before.

Wrath(K) ignored Wrath(A)'s sudden spastic movements. He had been expecting this reaction. The taller Exo brought up his massive arms. His red eyes as well as his entire body started to glow white hot. At the same time, a pillar of light shot up from under him, buzzing energy filling him as the beam passed through his body and exited the crown of his head. Wrath(A) felt a sudden nervousness grip him.

"Wait…" the Exo stuttered, slightly pulling on the restraints.

Wrath(K) heard but didn't care. His entire form started to glow brighter and hotter until he had illuminated the entire void. His mouth unhinged at the jaw and opened wide, smoke streaming from the sides. The Titan suddenly let out a roar that shook the Glass Throne. The pillar of light passing through Wrath(A) became blinding and his mind started to numb as the light filled his vision.

Then everything dimmed. Wrath(A) was only vaguely aware of his surroundings. He heard screaming in the distance; one panicked voice that seemed to be getting farther and farther away. But as the voice got farther away and his mind became fuzzier, the one voice was joined by another and another. These ones were different.

And much louder.

Clarity struck Wrath(A). He blinked to regain his vision, which was filling with black. He was inside some kind of building, on his hands and knees. He stood, pain coursing through his body and started to take a better look at his surroundings.

Wrath(A) lifted a heavy arm and tried to clean his eyes, wiping away the sticky black fluid. When he looked down at his hand, he let out a strangled gasp. When he finally looked around, the gasp nearly became a panicked yell.

The building was on fire. The ground was littered with destroyed metal and small charred corpses bodies. The black fluid was blood.

Another scream filled the area, coming from behind him. Wrath(A) turned around to see an Exo, colored blue and white, staring at him in terrified horror. He recognized her.

"Diana?" He called, moving closer.

Her hand fell from her mouth and balled into a fist.

"Diana? Why are you here? Where are we?" He called, louder this time.

"What have you done?" she asked in a shuttering tone. A wicked blade was in her hand before he could react, " _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"_ She shrieked.

"Wait…" Wrath(A) stuttered.

She ran at him screaming in rage and grief, knife brought up.

"DIANA, WAIT!" he brought up his hands and closed his eyes.

Another booming explosion filled the room and the image of Diana fell away. All of a sudden, he was back where he was before, in the Vault of Glass. Wrath(K) was still on the other side of the walkway, on his knees.

"What...what was that?" Wrath(A) gasped.

Wrath(K) rose to his full height, "The process failed. The Time Bridge collapsed," he growled, rolling his shoulders.

"No, I mean I saw...something!" Wrath(A) started to pull on his restraints, "Let me the hell out!"

Wrath(K) immediately complied and Wrath(A) fell forward, landing on the hard ground.

"What did you see?" Wrath(K) grumbled.

"I saw...a memory," Wrath(A) realized, "From my home planet."

"Your planet?"

"I…yes." It was all coming back to him now. Base Seven, the fight with Diana. The vision hadn't been clear but it was enough to remember what it was and what came next.

"What else can you remember?" Wrath(K) pressed, "Your creators' race, the name of the planet, anything."

Wrath(A) silently shook his head.

"I see." The Titan straightened out, "The Bridge collapsed and I do not know why. But your memories are coming back. That is a good sign."

Wrath(K) started typing on the holographic pads again, "We will try again after I make adjustments. I suggest you rest in the meantime."

Wrath(A) moved back against the wall and finally let his legs give out from under him. He knew his memories had been in there but…he had never been able to reach them except for when he first started to wake up during the fight against the Devil's Archon. He hasn't been able to reach them since and the reason they were returning now continued to elude him.

"Can I ask you something, Wrath?" Wrath(A) called across the walkway.

"What is it?"

"What do you remember about your past? How you were created?"

Wrath(K) paused in his work and seemed to consider it. "I was created in a government lab," he finally answered, "My construction was completed 31 years after they found you. The year 2000."

"They didn't start building other Exos for another century. Why the gap?"

"They tried. But with me and with others, they struggled to get it right. They had made plans to give up the project for good when the Traveler arrived." Wrath(K) had stopped in his work now, "Once it did, so many questions about you were answered, including how to remake you. You were sent around the world to be studied. They scrapped the old project and started from scratch."

"You're the old project," Wrath(A) confirmed.

"I am. Your incomplete and imperfect first copy." The word "imperfect" came out of the Titan's mouth laced with acid.

"Copy huh?" Wrath(A) chuckled, "Can I start calling you son?"

"The moment living becomes disagreeable to you, feel free."

Wrath(A) laughed louder, "And all I used to hear about was how you had no sense of humor."

Wrath(K) looked at him and brought his hands back up, "I said I was imperfect, didn't I? I don't process emotions like other Exos. I am only able to feel extremes. Mind numbing grief instead of sadness. Murderous wrath instead of anger."

"Doesn't make you less than anyone else. They shouldn't have just tossed you away like that." Wrath(A) leaned back against the wall and turned his thoughts inward, " _Seems your people are little better than mine."_

Asura didn't respond.

"This connection to other Exos. Can you tell me more about it?"

"We don't understand it very well either," Wrath(K) said, "Most Exos don't know it exists so they don't tap into it."

"What about you?"

"I don't have it. I was made before they could perfect the design. The Warmind Exos would also be immune to control."

Wrath(A)'s mind flashed to Kayla, "If this plan succeeds then…"

"The Kenyan Warmind would have to die. As well as any who stand in Pride's way." Wrath(K)'s eyes narrowed in the familiar Exo frown, "This will take some time. Like I said, get some rest."

This time, the Hunter did as he was told, leaning back and falling into a fitful sleep. The scene from his past played over and over again in his mind. The destroyed base, the corpses of the young, the scream from Diana that shifted from horror to rage.

The shock of the memory soon passed and all that was left was a new feeling. One that wasn't there before and one that was wholly unwelcome now. Shame. Whether it was his or Asura's was unknown to him. But it was his mind and his chest that burned with it.

And it had him absentmindedly bringing up his arm to wipe his eyes; cleaning off blood that wasn't there from children who were long dead.


	33. On the Battlefront

_Yeah, I know I'm late_

* * *

 _On the Battlefront_

* * *

"Is this a good idea?" Sixx asked, floating up to Kayla's face.

"Probably not." Kayla readjusted herself on the too soft bed, "But I have to know."

"Do you really?"

"Sixx…"

The Ghost sighed.

"You remember the plan?" The Warlock asked.

"You're gonna try and connect with Rasputin to see if you can get some information from him," Sixx repeated back to her, "I'm here to translate, keep you grounded and restart you if he somehow manages to rip your mind to shreds."

"You could afford to be a bit more supportive," Kayla admonished.

"And you could afford to think about this a little bit more!"

"I told you Sixx, I need to know," the Exo said, already tired, "How the hell can Envy influence someone as powerful as Rasputin? Who was she and how is she even more connected to him than I am?!"

"Rasputin told you of the Warminds in the old United States and Kenya. You're the Kenyan so-"

"Envy might be the U.S Warmind."

"A bit far-fetched, don't you think?"

Kayla laughed quietly, "At this point, there's no such thing."

Sixx sighed again and peered at her with his one, shining eye, "Whenever you're ready."

The Exo leaned back against the headboard and let her mind clear itself out. She had learned it was never a good idea to force herself to calm down. Best to let it happen naturally.

And when it did, she felt… _something_.

In the pitch blackness of her emptied mind, _something_ was there. Familiar and yet, not. It was unnerving.

Kayla pressed forward anyway. " _Rasputin?_ " The Exo thought, mind reaching for the presence.

The presence seemed to shy away, as if afraid of her. But Kayla was focused on nothing else and in the silence, she could hear the unmistakable voice.

" _What's Rasputin saying, Sixx_?" she thought to her Ghost.

" _Next to none of it is actually coherent. Honestly, I think he's just making up words now."_

" _Then tell me what you actually can translate!"_

The Ghost listened a while longer. " _...Midnight Exigent...Dvalin Forge...Kayla, I'm not picking up anything else."_

Kayla started to push closer to the presence, " _Rasputin?"_ she called, " _I know you can hear me. I need answers."_

The Russian became slightly louder. More threatening.

" _Kayla...he's warning you. That much is clear."_

" _Yes, I guessed that,_ " she muttered, continuing to push forward nonetheless. " _Rasputin,_ " she tried again, " _What is inside the Archives? How do we get in?"_

The old Warmind was louder now. Almost shouting inside her head. Sixx was warning her to disconnect. Whether not it was her Ghost's own warning or a translation from Rasputin, she did not know. It was most likely both.

Against all warning, she persisted. She pursued. " _Why did you spend so much to protect me? Why did you contact Adrian Suros?!"_

"Kayla!" Sixx was speaking out loud now, "Kayla, you need to disengage!"

" _Who is the North American Warmind? Is it Envy?_ " Kayla pressed desperately for answers, " _Answer me, Rasputin!"_

Complete silence followed after her final outburst. That's when she got her answer.

There were no words. No pictures or visions forced into her head.

Just a ring. Shrill, bitter and horribly malicious.

What followed next was indescribable pain as a blur of images and incomprehensible visions blew through her mind at an impossible pace that only seemed to go faster and faster until she could do nothing but scream.

Then it all stopped.

A few more seconds passed before she was coherent again. "Sixx? Sixx?!"

Her Ghost flew towards her face, "I told you to get out while you had the chance but-"

"Yeah, yeah. You were right." she leaned forward, exhausted, "But what?"

"But...Rasputin...he...he just assaulted you with a massive amount of information. I managed to help you dump most of it but the amount he had to push into you before you were forced to disconnect was...incredible."

"I can't remember a thing after that... _sound_." She rubbed the side of her head, "How much information are we talking about here?"

"Uh…" The Ghost looked away.

Kayla looked up, "Sixx?"

He turned back to her, "Roughly half the size of the Tower database."

Kayla froze and then shook her head, completely sure that she didn't hear right, "The Tower database?"

"Yes."

"I took in enough information to equal half of the Tower's _entire_ database?"

"Yes...you don't believe me."

"No, its not that! It's just...hard to believe. I mean, do you know how massive those archives are?!" Kayla stood up off the too soft Awoken bed, "You were right. That should've killed me."

"And it would have...if you were anyone else."

"But because I'm me?"

"Because you're you, your mind had already started to process and store the information even before even I realized what it was doing."

The Warlock looked down at her hands, clenching them both before opening them again. Then she looked back at her Ghost, an idea forming, "Do you still have the information? Do I?"

"You don't but I do," Sixx answered, flying closer, "But I'm in the process of dumping it."

"Don't," she ordered, "Go back through the info. Find and save absolutely anything that mentions the Archives, the Vault or Adrian Suros. Anything."

* * *

Crona had to admit, it had been too long since she talked to her mother. She was also willing to admit that the conversation had been too short and too stiff on her end.

She was never the best at acting or lying. Especially to someone she had never had to lie to.

Her mother brought up Asura and expressed her condolences from both her and her father. Crona fake smiled and nodded through the entire thing, not trusting herself to speak. Another thing she had to admit; she had been in easier fist fights.

Which was why she was in one of the Vestian Outpost's PT rooms, outfitted to better suit them specifically, working out her frustrations by throwing Aro around like a living ragdoll.

She used to have a different way of relieving stress but Corin was nowhere to be found. It was for the best. She knew she would say or do something she regretted if she ever saw him again.

She ducked under an incoming right hook from Aro and planted two hard jabs into his side and stomach. She kept her strength reigned in. No need to accidentally get Aro riled up and breathing fire again. Then again, even if she was to go all out like she wanted to, Aro probably wouldn't respond in kind. He was willingly acting like a punching bag for her.

She hated that. She always hated how easy it was for him to read her. As if everything about who she was and how she felt was written on her face. What was even more frustrating was when he made it clear he knew but never pushed to do anything about it. He knew how she felt choosing between obeying her father and Commander and rescuing her best friend but he never ordered her to stay behind. It was infuriating. Before, she spent so long wanting to be in a position to lead.

Now here she was; close to spilling her guts to her other best friend and then demanding he tell her what to do.

Maybe it was because she knew what Aro would say. And Aro knew he would lose teeth for it.

She had a family. Daniel had a family. And as much as Erek didn't like to be reminded, he had a family. Out of the five of them, they had the most to lose going into the Vault.

Aro threw a hard and fiery hot right hook directly into the soft part of her cheek, snapping her head to the side and almost burning her. She rolled with it and pushed him back with a palm to his bare chest.

"No Light," she grumbled, circling him again.

"Sorry," he huffed breathlessly, putting his arms back up. It was the only talking they had done in the last hour. The man was a persistent fighter, she'd give him that. He didn't hit as hard as a Titan but he took his licks like one. Crona couldn't help but compare him to the "other" him.

The "other" Aro, the "Dragon of Light" as Variks called it, threw fire and Void around like toys. It had no sense of restraint but full sense of complete control; an indomitable will behind the burning chaos. Completely unlike the usually unsure and meek Aro.

She had heard Ikora say once that there was something unnatural and clunky about the way he manipulated fire and the Void. He wielded it like any other Warlock but it didn't come naturally to him like it did others. She had heard Shin and Cayde comment the same about Asura and Shaxx say the same about her.

Aro jabbed at her face again and she jerked her head to the side. Taking advantage of him moving too far, she grabbed the arm still over her shoulder and threw the tall Warlock over, slamming him down onto his back. With one powerful arm, she held him on his back and a raised fist was all she needed to have him groaning his surrender.

Whatever they meant, about her, Asura and Aro, Crona couldn't guess. And odds are the amount of time they had before they planned to Raid the Vault wouldn't be nearly enough to figure it out or get Aro's latent power under control.

Either way, any doubts she held about going into the Vault and going against Vanguard orders were gone. She could either live as a failure or die trying.

She let Aro sit up and reached for a towel, silently wiping the back of her neck.

Aro downed a bottle of water, "Wanna talk about it?"

He was doing it again. Reading her. "We just did."

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am," she stood, stretched and slung the towel over her shoulder, "Thanks for the talk."

Aro chuckled, "Anytime."

* * *

"When are you going to finish healing me?" Aro groaned, trudging back to his room.

"I could numb the pain. You might lose feeling and not be able to walk, of course."

Aro groaned again but wisely shut up. This was his payment for being a good friend.

He got to the door, opened it and trudged was sitting on the far side of the bed, back to the door. Aro called his name.

No answer.

"Daniel?" Aro tried again, walking closer. Daniel's head turned slightly, showing that he had heard him fine. The Titan stood, and rolled his shoulders. One hand was limp against his side.

The other was clutching a book.

Aro eyes darted to the book to Daniel and back. "Dan-"

"Aro," Daniel cut him off. He raised the book and turned to face him, "What is this?"

Aro took a few seconds to answer, "Gluttony's journal."

"And how long have you had this, Aro?" Daniel asked, his voice dangerously low as he slowly closing the distance between them.

"Two years now," Aro muttered, unable to meet his gaze, "Right after we fought Gluttony."

Daniel started to laugh. "Two years?" He repeated, his smiling face completely devoid of humor. He violently threw the book at the bed. Aro flinched when it smashed against the wall, "Two years?! You've had Gluttony's journal for two fucking years?!" He wasn't smiling anymore.

Aro grabbed his arm, "Daniel, I can explain-"

"No, you can't!" The Titan roughly shoved him off, "And get the fuck off me."

Something in Aro's chest twisted, "Daniel…"

Daniel pointed at the journal, "That man has caused nothing but pain for me and my family since before he died and even after! He tried to kill you, why would you keep that thing?!"

"He told me where it was!" Aro argued back.

Confusion mixed in with Daniel's anger, "What?"

Aro tried to get his breathing under control, "When Gluttony…swallowed me, I met him. The real him. Toland."

"That's not his name anymore," Daniel growled.

"Just listen!" Aro yelled, "He and I talked. He told me about himself, his actions, the people he cared about. He talked about you, Daniel. And Maya."

Daniel glowered but remained silent.

"He told me where the journal was. Where he and Vell used to stay in the Tower. I read some of it and…" Aro sighed, "Daniel, I know he's done wrong but…" Aro picked up the journal, "If you got to know him, maybe you'd understand."

Daniel started to pace back and forth, running his hands through his hair; a bad sign.

"Daniel?" Aro called.

Just like before, he didn't answer.

"Daniel, will you say something?"

"You know, before we became what we are, there was always something so familiar about you," Daniel snarled, "You're just like him. Even heading down the same path. Too curious for your own damn good! Just like him; nothing but fucking trouble!"

The twist in his chest moved to his throat. "Daniel…" Aro choked out.

"You should've burned that fucking thing the second you found it!"

"If you'd just listen to me!"

He suddenly; face only a few inches away from Aro's, "How long before you get me killed like he did everyone who made the _mistake_ of caring about him?" He asked through clenched teeth.

Aro's words froze in his throat. The anger in Daniel's eyes started to mix with regret.

"Daniel?"

His Ghost had appeared behind him. Daniel broke his gaze away from Aro and pulled back, "Yes?" he answered softly.

Caesar floated forward, "It's Tarlowe. He's found something big."

* * *

 _Aaaaaaaangsst_


	34. Greed the Defender Part IV

_I apologize for how late this was. Already working on the next chapter so this doesn't happen again. P4 takes place 1 year after P3 and feels ahead so be warned_

* * *

 _Greed the Defender Part IV_

* * *

Vell tightened the strap around his gauntlet, silently berating himself for not working on it earlier. He didn't feel ready for this. Not at all.

But he had to admit, Adrian broke him down. He was very convincing and even more than that, he was persistent. His big brother had charmed the Vanguard into agreeing with him, the Speaker and even Vell himself. As far as Vell knew, they were the only two who knew that the old Warmind was still active though how Adrian managed to keep Rasputin's involvement out of the arguments, Vell couldn't begin to figure out. But the next thing he knew, Adrian was at the Tower everyday, receiving weapons training from Eris and combat training from Vell. He wasn't a fighter; Vell knew that long before he had to start punching him in the ribs but Adrian was a decent shot with some training. Not half bad for someone whose family lineage is known for designing weapons. Then again, their father was never much of a shot either.

The foundry wasn't happy about it. Not that they were happy with Adrian pretty much shirking the company before. Now he was heading to an incredibly hostile planet and has yet to name his successor. Vell had yet to decide if the board members were angry because he was leaving without explicitly naming any successor at all or because he had yet to name one of them the successor, seeing as the clear heir just turned twenty but had little to no experience with the company.

" _All the more reason to make sure he comes back,"_ Vell thought to himself as he did his final round of preparation.

They had been spending a lot more time together, he and Adrian. More than ever before. Talking more openly and candidly about everything that had happened over the last decade. Joanne's passing, Toland's exile and where he was at the moment.

It hurt. It always did. And it probably always will. But it was doing both of them some good to talk and the brothers had never been closer. Vell couldn't deny that. He wouldn't.

A gloved hand suddenly clamped down on the top of his head, making him clutch his gun tighter in a slight panic. The hand pulled his head back, bringing Adrian's irritating smirk into view.

"Why are you so happy?" Vell rumbled.

"Why are you so jumpy, big guy?" The smirk grew wider.

Vell shook him off and smiled, "Pre-mission jitters. Everyone gets 'em."

"Not me!" Adrian started bouncing on his heels, punching the air, "I feel fantastic! Wanna fight?"

The sight of his middle aged, greying, older brother bouncing around like a child in full armor would forever be burned into Vell's mind. The Titan laughed, "You know, the excitement is part of the jitters. Settle down."

Adrian seemed to think about it before shaking his head, "Nah, I'm good."

Vell's Ghost blinked into view right in front of his face to alert him that the ship was ready. As if on cue, the sound of engines blew out from behind him. He turned around, wondering just how deep in thought he had been for him to not have noticed.

Adrian was up the ramp before Vell could even stand. He stopped in his jog and looked around Vell's ship, childlike wonder all over his face. Just like Vell when he was first given the old thing. Back when everything was going good in his life. Now the past just seemed like a distant memory.

When Vell finally joined Adrian inside the ship, he was kneeling in front of an open suitcase, arranging and inspecting the tools he created specifically for the mission under the Warmind's orders. Vell didn't know what they looked like, not wanting to pry, but whatever they were seemed to sober Adrian up quick.

Adrian quickly closed the case as Vell started to move past him. Vell opened the ship's armory next to the bench where Adrian was and placed Toland's Shadow Price inside. Or his Shadow Price. And on occasion, Eris'. They stopped making the distinction months ago. It was theirs. It was always theirs.

The brothers made their final preparations in silence. Vell had Sera alert Zavala, Ikora and Andal that they would be leaving anytime now.

"You took off your ring?" Vell asked.

Adrian was scrolling through Vell's armory computer, examining each and every weapon Vell kept stored in the ship, "Hmm?"

"Your ring?" Vell held up his own hand.

"Oh!" Adrian's hand flew to his chest, "I have _a_ ring. But...but this one doesn't fit very well."

Vell cocked an eyebrow, "Ah...okay then. You set?"

Adrian shrugged and sat down on the bench, "As much as I'll ever be."

Vell retracted and closed the ramp to the ship, "You nervous now?"

Adrian let out a breathless laugh, "Yeah. Definitely." He then looked up at Vell, strangely serious, "But I doubt I have any reason to be."

"No reason?" Vell laughed, "Venus is one the most dangerous planets in the system. Sounds like plenty to be worried about."

"I know," Adrian said, leaning back against the wall. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh, "But you'll be there. We'll be fine."

"So much faith."

"You've earned it." Both men went quiet after that. Vell asked Sera if Eris was still patrolling Mars and if she was, to tell them they are heading out.

"Just did," the Ghost replied, "She said to come back safe."

Vell's ship started to move out of the hangar. Once it hit open air, it dropped slightly before the thrusters kicked in full, driving them into orbit.

"We will," Vell murmured, "Don't worry."

* * *

Vell could only imagine the look on Adrian's face when he disembarked the ship. The man was taking pictures and videos of the mountains, the skyline and the rolling green hills; so enamored by what he was seeing, Vell had to hold him back from almost walking into one of the toxic lakes.

"Just think…you get to see this any time you want," Adrian breathed, eyes still on the massive volcanoes in the distance.

The Titan's massive armored shoulders lifted in an easy shrug, "You've seen sulphur spewing volcanoes once, you've seen them a thousand times."

"We've got to go to Mars after this. I think I want to see Clovis Bray too."

Vell turned around, "You _think_?"

"What you don't think I can woo them over a second time?"

"No. Can we start heading out?"

Adrian lifted his thickly gloved hands, "Sure. Your Ghost can call on my tools right?"

Vell nodded, "Yeah. Saves us the trouble of dragging it there."

A single thought to his Ghost and the sound of a large, black Sparrow roaring to life filled the Headlands. Vell lifted one leg over and positioned himself comfortably in the seat.

"You've got to let me drive that sometime."

"When hell freezes over. Get on."

His brother hesitated slightly before joining Vell on the Sparrow and wrapping his arms around Vell's waist. "Sera, check his shields," Vell ordered.

"All shields around Adrian are functioning at optimal levels," the Ghost chirped back, "You're both good to go."

"Adrian, listen," Vell said, the seriousness of his tone dragging Adrian's attention away from the mountains, "The area we have to get through to reach the Archives are riddled with enemy forces. Some Fallen, some Vex, some even both, fighting each other. I…I've never had to do this kind of thing on my own. So stay on my heels and do exactly what I tell you to. No room for argument. Understand?"

Adrian nodded, "Of course."

Vell grabbed the throttle, revved the engine once and the two took off down the path leading to their destination.

* * *

As Vell had said, there was fighting. Fallen Winters littered the path to the Ishtar Academy. No matter how many times Guardians moving through seemed to clear out this coast, more were always there later on. Vell barreled past them the best he could and Adrian's shields took minimal damage.

Both got off the Sparrow at the tunnel that to the Academy and continued the journey on foot. Adrian tentatively moved through the water behind Vell, water nearly coming up to the shorter man's knees.

" _Fighting ahead, Vell,"_ Sera warned, " _We can't go around._ "

" _Then we go through,"_ Vell thought grimly, "Adrian?" He called out loud.

"Yeah?"

"Fighting ahead. Weapons up."

"Uhh, alright," Adrian fumbled for the pistol he was given. They could hear the fighting Sera warned them about as they got closer. The screeches of Fallen, the whirring and stomping of the Vex. Nothing that was new to Vell but he could feel Adrian move closer to him. The nervousness was coming off of him in waves.

Once at the tunnel's opening, they could see the fighting. Vell told Adrian to move back down into the shadows while he moved closer to figure out a way through.

" _Vell, the left hall has less belligerents,"_ Sera said inside his head, " _If you can hold their attention, Adrian should be able to run through."_

Vell repeated the plan back to Adrian, who hesitated a second before nodding.

On Vell's signal, Adrian took off for the left corridor while he charged the group of Vex, picking up enough speed to smash into and shatter one of the Goblins. All eyes were on him now and more importantly, off of Adrian.

Vell continued to fight, as loudly as he could manage, until Sera told him that Adrian was safely on the other side of the Academy. He then tossed a Flashbang at the largest group and used the distraction to get away, ducking and weaving through any of the remaining attackers until he got through the doorway.

Luckily, none followed him. He found Adrian sitting in a dry spot, head down and back against a wall. He started slightly when he heard Vell's heavy steps come up behind him. He let out a relieved breath, "Vell!"

Vell's brow furrowed, "You alright? You didn't get hit did you?"

"No, no, I'm alright," Adrian stood himself up on unsteady legs, "Just a bit shaky. Was a lot more intense than I expected," he admitted. But still he moved away from the wall and towards the stairs that led down to the lower levels.

"You know where we are?" Vell asked his brother.

"The Hall of Whispers," Adrian murmured, "We're close. Very close."

"There's more fighting ahead. Not as packed together but still," Vell looked out the old, shattered window. What marked the Hall of Whispers was an old Fallen Skiff buried face first at the center as well as the groups of Fallen and Vex fighting to take control.

"Whenever you're ready, Adrian," Vell said, expecting to wait a few minutes but Adrian straightened up immediately, "Lets go now."

"Ok. Stay close to me. I'm not leaving you alone this time."

* * *

Vell grabbed the last Vandal by its throat and brutally slammed it to the ground. The Fallen went limp.

Adrian cautiously moved closer, head swiveling as he looked around, "A lot more of them than I thought there were," He said, letting out a breathless laugh.

Vell let out one of his own, "That's how it always is fighting the Fallen." He looked down a long hallway that ended at what looked like large doors, "Is that it?"

Adrian breathed out, "That's it."

The massive, solid bay doors were covered moss and other vegetation. Some spots were burned black. The results of others attempting to penetrate the Vault; Guardian, Fallen and Vex alike. But if what Adrian said before was true, none have seen the inside since the day of the Collapse.

Adrian holstered his gun and jogged up to a dusty, plant covered terminal. Just before he could touch it, the black screen flickered to life, much to their mutual surprise.

Vell turned to keep an eye on the entrance while listening to Adrian's fingers tap away at the screen until Adrian called for him.

Vell turned around to see the terminal's screen flashing a bright green. Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound filled the room as dust and plants fell from the ceiling. The bay doors started to shake violently and pull apart.

"Are you seeing this?" Adrian asked, his previous excitement returning, "Vell, are you seeing this?!"

"I see it."

After a few minutes of rumbling and slow movement, the door stood split apart, revealing a long staircase winding downward. The Archives were open.

"Almost 400 years," Adrian breathed, "And look at it…"

Vell walked up next to him, "Do you want to stare for a few more minutes or should Sera get your case from the ship?"

Adrian's eyes never left the entrance but he nodded and said, "We should head in."

The small suitcase appeared in Vell's hand and Adrian took it, nodding and murmuring his thanks. After a few seconds of hesitation, Vell took his first steps toward the entrance and inside, Adrian right on his heels.

Their hesitant walk down the staircase was shorter than expected and took them to a open room filled with large cylindrical machines with a white mist coming up from the ground floor below them. One by one, overhead lights activated, illuminating the rest of the Archive.

"I've waited so long…" Vell heard Adrian murmur behind him.

Vell turned around and clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder, "Well you did it. You're here."

Adrian looked up at him for a few seconds and then returned the gesture, "I had help." He then nodded at the center of the Archives, "Come on. Let's finish this."

"Ready to go home already?"

"Yes, honestly. I've had enough excitement for one lifetime."

" _Welcome Dr. Shim. Please enter your security clearance code."_

The voice startled the both of them and caused Adrian to walk straight into Vell.

"Who the hell…"

"Anybody you know?" Vell asked.

Adrian shook his head, "Whoever they are, they've probably been dead for centuries." He suddenly circled around Vell and jogged ahead towards the center, "Here! This is it."

Unlike the other cylindrical terminals littering the Archives, this one stood alone at the center, illuminated by a dull light and possessing a large screen at its top and a smaller one on the at its center.

Adrian immediately dropped to one knee and opened the suitcase. For the first time, Vell got to see what was inside.

"Is…is that a watch?" Vell leaned in close for a better look.

"It's Father's watch," Adrian clarified, holding the shimmering gold timepiece out to him. Vell took it from him and looked closer at it. It had been years since he had seen it.

"As well as…" Adrian continued, "Mom's bracelet. And Joanne's necklace. The one I gave her before she died."

Vell handed the watch back, "This is it? What you've been working on for so long now?"

"Yeah. This is it. Modifying these to the Warmind's specific instructions."

The Titan frowned, "I don't see any difference."

Adrian simply pointed to the terminal, "Have your Ghost start this thing up."

Vell promptly released Sera. He squatted down next to him "Why these things specifically?"

Adrian went quiet for a few seconds. "Rasputin stressed their importance. So I worked with things I wouldn't dare lose."

Adrian then took the arms of the watch and pushed them flat against each other until they suddenly clicked in place, "I don't know what they used to activate this thing during the Golden Age," he explained, "But I had reshaped the bands of the watch to match it." He turned to the terminal and felt under the smaller screen until he found whatever he was looking for. Then he took the watch and inserted it into a slot hidden under the screen.

Suddenly, the terminal's large black screen flashed to life and Rasputin's deep voice filled and echoed throughout the Archive.

"He's in here?" Vell asked, readjusting his grip on Shadow Price.

"He's always been here," Adrian answered, still staring at the screen, "Protecting this place and everything held inside. He's been waiting…"

"For you?"

Adrian moved closer to the screen, mesmerized but what he was seeing, "No…and yes. Not just me. Someone else too."

"Who?" When Adrian didn't answer, Vell demanded louder, "Adrian, who?"

"I…I don't know," Adrian breathed out, "Vell, this…all of this. It's about the Vault of Glass."

"What about the Vault?"

Adrian ignored him, rushing around the central terminal until he found whatever he was looking for. Then he rushed back, grabbing the pendant and the bracelet out of the case.

"Adrian, will you calm down?" Vell was getting frustrated and more than a little nervous, "What does Rasputin know about the Vault?"

"Everything!" Adrian pulled open two thin glass lids and placed the bracelet and the pendant inside each compartment, "Rasputin, somehow, has detailed information on the entire place! How to get in, how to get out; it's like…it's like something in there is communicating with him. Telling him all this stuff. And now he needed me to get it back to the City." A few seconds of silent typing and the terminal started to hum, "Alright," Adrian murmured, "I've started encoding Rasputin's data onto the bracelet and the pendant. We wait now."

"But why you?" Vell seethed, Adrian's previous explanation doing nothing to ease his nerves. "Why not a Guardian? Why keep it a secret?!"

"Maybe there's something out there. Listening in. Maybe he couldn't risk that something...or someone finding out."

"Is that supposed to be better?!" Vell suddenly exploded.

Adrian was taken aback, "Vell-"

"Don't 'Vell' me! You have a family! You're only human! He didn't have to put you in danger like this!"

" _Dr. Shim, security breach on the upper levels."_

The warning that had suddenly echoed throughout the Archive was followed by a shrill screech joined by a cacophony of many others.

 _No…_

"Fallen are getting inside," Vell muttered, trying to keep his breathing under control, "A lot of them."

Adrian ran back to the terminal, "The keys aren't done, Vell."

"Then leave them. I need to get you out of here."

"What? No!"

"This isn't up for discussion, Adrian!" Vell shoved past him and picked up the suitcase. He could hear the footsteps.

Adrian darted over to the terminal, putting himself between Vell and the encoder, "Vell, listen," he started, lifting his hands placatingly, "Whatever is going on in that Vault is a danger to everyone. This might be our only way to get in, stop what's going on and get out alive!"

A bolt of Arc energy smashed against the terminal, just barely missing Adrian's head. Vell grabbed him and ran behind the terminal. The Fallen were moving closer in droves now.

"You need to keep them off the terminal, Vell! Until it's finished!"

"I said we're leaving!" Vell roared as another shot bounced off the terminal. He grabbed Adrian's arm, "Sera, take us back up!" The Ghost didn't respond. Adrian used the distraction to twist out of Vell's grip.

Vell paused for only a second before lunging at Adrian. Adrian jumped back but not far enough, giving Vell a chance to grab onto him and pull him back behind cover. He shoved Adrian against the terminal and held him there.

He ignored the prick of guilt he felt when he heard Adrian cry out loudly in pain.

"Sera, why are we still here?!" He yelled.

"I'm trying!" Sera said, "Something's blocking my ability to transmat you!"

"Adrian, what's going on?" Vell demanded.

Adrian groaned again, "I don't know! Just let me get to the screen!"

Vell considered it for a few seconds before groaning loudly and releasing Adrian. The Titan pushed his Light towards his center, compressing it as much as he could before throwing it out in the shape of a Void Light dome around the terminal.

Adrian took that as his cue to move to the front while Vell stood just outside the Ward, shooting back and lobbing grenades at the Fallen.

"It's Rasputin! He's reactivating the Archive defenses, he's blocking transmat. He's locking everything down, Vell!

Vell turned to him, "Then how the fuck are we supposed to get out?!"

"The same way we got in."

The Ward disappeared. Vell immediately shoved Adrian to the ground and put himself between him and the Fallen. "Why are they even here?!" Vell yelled, shooting down a Dreg who had gotten too close.

"They want what's in the Archive, Vell!" Adrian yelled back, shielding his face with his arm when a Shock grenade exploded close to him. His heavy breathing was loud in Vell's ears, "They could ruin the City. That's why he's locking it down. They could…they could…" Adrian's voice suddenly went quiet; the only sound coming from were forced, shaky breaths.

"Adrian?" Vell called, still shooting at the Fallen, "Adrian, what's wrong? Talk to me!"

Just before Adrian could answer, sirens started to go off all over the Archive. He crawled back towards the keys and opened the glass lids, pulling both the bracelet and the pendant out of the Archive encoder.

"Vell, listen closely," he murmured so quietly, Vell almost missed it. He moved towards the suitcase and carefully placed both back in. He then crawled over to the front of the terminal, pulled the watch out and placed it inside, "You need to take these and leave."

"The fuck do you mean 'I have to'?!" Vell yelled, "We're both leaving this place!"

"Vell," his brother's voice cracked when he said his name, "I can't."

Vell threw up another Ward and turned around, reaching out for Adrian again. Adrian managed to avoid him this time. "Adrian…" Vell warned through clenched teeth.

"Vell," Adrian backed closer to the terminal, "The Fallen. They can't be allowed to take what's in here! They could destroy the City with it!"

"Then you go and I'll stay!" Vell roared, getting in Adrian's face.

"I can't transmat out of here or even up to your ship!" Adrian bellowed back, "Fuck! I won't even make it past all of them, Vell! And you know it!"

Tears started to well in Vell's eyes, "I'm not leaving you. Not now. Not after everything!"

Adrian grabbed the suitcase and shoved it at Vell, whose hands instinctively came up to grab it, "I have to activate the defenses. I can't do that unless you're outside. I…I won't do it unless you're inside."

He then grabbed Vell's head with both hands and pulled him down to his own, "Your birthday. Your 21st. Do you remember what I said?" He was whispering but the world was silent around them and Vell could hear every word. He nodded.

"I'm proud of you. I'm still proud of you. I love you. And I always will."

Adrian pushed away, "You only have a minute left, Vell. Before the place locks completely and I activate the defenses. Get these keys home and make sure the right people get ahold of them! They'll know what to do when it's time."

"Adrian, I can't…" Vell begged but now the sirens were louder and this time, it was Rasputin himself shouting over the speakers.

"Less than a minute, Vell!" Adrian started to run back to the terminal, ducking as an Arc bolt flew past his head, "Tell everyone I'm sorry."

"I'm not-"

"Thirty seconds! Vell, please!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

" _GOOO!"_ The thunder in Adrian's voice silencing any further protest from Vell.

So he ran.

Pulling up a Force Barrier, the Titan barreled through the groups of Fallen and avoided who he couldn't knock over. He got to the stairs and started to climb, the way blurred behind tears. Everything in him was telling him to go back. Go back, grab his brother and bring him home like he promised the kids.

Still he ran. With the Fallen on his heels, he ran.

Just before he could get through the closing bay door, a Vandal jumped for him and landed on his back, knocking him down and the case out of his hand. He twisted under it and kicked the Vandal hard enough to slam it screaming into the ceiling and down the stairs. Then he grabbed the case, tossed it under through the door and himself with it.

The bay doors slammed shut and out a whining hiss. He could just barely hear the Fallen screaming and clawing at the door.

Vell grabbed the case, painfully stood to his feet and turned to stare at the door for a long time; breathing hard. Then he tossed the case down again, bellowed and ran at the massive door, slamming into it.

He bounced off of it and landed on his back, getting the wind knocked out of him.

Gasping for breath, he called Shadow Price to his hand and started shooting at the door. Bullets ricocheted off the door. Some even hitting him. He felt nothing.

When Shadow Price ran empty, he called a Shotgun to his hand and a Rocket Launcher after that.

The doors barely blackened.

He ran at it again, screaming, and hit it as hard as he could. Then he punched it again. Again and again. Arc lightning started to bounce off of him and the world turned a shade of blue as he called on the full force of his Radiant Light.

He had no idea how long he went on, screaming and raging at a door that refused to bend to his will. He put his hands together and brought them down in one final slam, discharging all the Arc energy he had built up in the process. The force of the explosion shook the Hall of Whispers. It did nothing to the door.

Vell slid down the to his knees, his bellowing silenced and replaced by weeping. His Ghost, silent, transported the case back to his ship and him soon after.

Adrian was gone. His brother was gone.

Vell fell from his knees to his back on the deck of his ship. Sera took off his helmet, exposing his tear stained face to the ceiling.

Sera started the ship on the path back to Earth, moving purposely slow.

Unable to move, unable to breathe, Vell simply curled up on the floor and quietly sobbed himself to sleep.

* * *

"Maya, wake up," a voice whispered, "Wake up!"

The girl turned away from it, curling even deeper into the bed. The voice kept repeating her name and tapping her.

"Maya!" The voice suddenly said at full volume, causing her to almost jump out of bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and Tarlowe's sleep deprived but hyperactive expression filled her vision.

"Tarlowe? It's late," she whined.

"I know, I know but I need you to call Daniel on your Ghost," an excited smile grew on his face, "I found something big and they need to hear about it."

Maya, nodded, slightly more awake now. Tarlowe wheeled his chair away from the bed and towards the door while Maya got A.J started on the call. He then stopped and asked, "Come to my office when you get him. You have your bracelet, right?"

She nodded again.

"Good," he breathed, "Good. They're gonna need it."

* * *

 _Fuck. That was difficult to write. Even I'm starting to feel bad for this man_

 _P.S. While nothing is set in stone, I'm thinking of starting a series of Skyrim one shots based on the weird things that happen to me literally every single time I turn on the game. I hope to keep it light hearted and funny with some sweet moments. Nothing as dark as this, I promise you._

 _Dragonborn's name is Felwinter btw_


	35. Look to the Stars

_Look to the Stars_

* * *

Mira reluctantly opened her eyes. She turned in her bed to face the window. It was early morning; still dark out. One side of her was glad as there would be less people walking around and stopping her to talk. Another side was struggling to shake the nightmares from her mind and the lack of sun did nothing to help.

She had the dream again. Her, Shino and Marie inside a large Hive filled cavern on the Moon, running for their lives with a defenseless and recently risen May in tow, all blocked from transmat. Marie staying behind to provide a distraction to the incoming horde.

Her last screams as the wave overcame her.

She removed the satin scarf wrapped around her head, freeing her dreaded hair and nearly laughing at the fact it had managed to stay on the entire night. Khan, of course, chose to remind her that she barely moved all night.

Mira trudged to the sink and splashed the freezing cold water into her face several times, ruminating over the dream. It was the same as it always was. At least, it started off that way. Lately, she had been seeing the same dream in different ways. Or maybe more of the same thing. Things she couldn't remember; locked away so the guilt would only torture her rather than outright kill her.

She left the bedroom, walked past May's door and into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator and sighing at the lack of options, she reached for the milk, took a whiff of the inside and promptly poured it down the drain. Maybe the mess hall would have better options.

Mira got dressed, quietly left the dorm and slowly walked down its length, lost in her own chaotic thoughts.

" _Say…say that they actually do get in. That your 'help from Earth' actually amounts to more than jackshit. But say that…they don't make it. The Vault kills them or the Wraths kill them or even Pride himself finally decides to show his face. How you going to tell the Vanguard that you led another teammate to their death? Hmm? What are you two going say to Zavala about his daughter's early death? After all they've lost, how are you going to explain to Tarlowe and Christine that yet another member of their family will never come home."_

Mira shook her head but the memory of Aashir's words persisted.

" _How are you going to tell little Trey and Maya that his aunt and her older brother were standing on the edge of a deep, dark abyss and instead of pulling them back to safety, you cheered them on to dive right in?"_

" _On your head be the consequences."_

"Mira!"

The Hunter nearly jumped, "Master Ikora! I-I didn't see you there."

"I noticed," she murmured, one perfect eyebrow raised, "Not sleeping well?"

Mira shook her head, "Not lately, no."

"Does it have to do with Asura?"

Mira's heart jumped to her throat and she found herself unable to answer. Had Aashir already told?

Instead, sympathy crossed her face, "I understand how you must be feeling, Mira."

She blinked, "I…you do?"

Ikora turned and gestured down the hall. Then she started walking with Mira falling in step with her, "You forget, I knew Kabr before…everything."

"That's true."

Ikora kept facing forward, "Master Osiris was…ecstatic when Kabr volunteered for the mission into the Vault. Even more so when Pahanin volunteered."

"Just those two, ma'am?"

"Yes. Just the two. To this day, I still wondered what he was thinking. He had faith, of course, but he was a very calculating man." The Master Warlock shook her head, "When Pahanin returned and we learned of Kabr's demise, Osiris was heartbroken and guilt ridden. It's why he instated mandatory fireteams."

"Yes, I heard the story," Mira murmured, eyes to the ground. She looked up at Ikora, seeing what was in her hands. She nodded to the steaming cup of coffee, "Are you having trouble sleeping too?"

Ikora gave her a small smile, "Not really. No." She lifted the cup, "This is for Zavala. He's fallen asleep standing at the table twice now and accidentally bumped into and knocked over a frame. This is my stop."

Mira paused right before the Vanguard Hall, too uncomfortable to enter. She simply put her fist to her heart in a salute and nodded, "I'll leave you to it then. Thank you for the talk, Master." In her hurry out of the Hall, a flash of blue stopped her in her tracks.

Aashir, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, stared back from the shadows in the corners of the Vanguard Hall. His metallic face was completely unreadable and his shining blue eyes portrayed no emotion.

 _He's really going to do it. He's going to tell them._

Heart pounding and vision blurring with fear, Mira tore her eyes away from the Exo. She hurried out and decided against eating. She wasn't sure it would stay down anymore.

* * *

"You talked?" Zavala muttered as Ikora approached him, eyes never lifting from his many reports.

She placed the cup down and he nodded his thanks. "We did," she said, walking back to her books.

Cayde's lifted up from his map, "And? Don't keep us in suspense."

"She misses Asura. Obviously," she said, waving her hand and levitating one of the books into the air, "She is afraid for him. They all are. But if there's anything worth being suspicious about, I didn't pick it up from her."

The black clad Exo shrugged, "Probably because she's afraid of you. She's on guard. Should've let me do it. Or Malphur." He jerked a thumb behind him to the blonde, long haired man snoozing in a chair with his jacket over his face.

"I didn't get anything because I doubt she's the one to worry about." Ikora let the book slowly back down to the table, "I doubt they'd so direct as to assault the stronghold themselves. We're watching them too closely and they know it."

Zavala handed one of the reports to a young Exo Titan waiting behind him and she departed quickly, trying to look like she hadn't been attempting to listen in, "You think it's the other members we should be worried about," he stated more than asked, "Do you think the Queen would actually help them?"

"She's unpredictable and Erek is her family so I can't be sure. But if she's seen what they're capable of, especially Aro when he gets set off, she could. She'd have multiple talented Guardians in her debt."

Cayde balled up a blank sheet of paper and threw it behind him, pelting Shin, who snorted in surprise, "Could she even get them in? She communes with the Nine and who knows what they know." The ball of paper was returned to the back of his head. He started to ball up another.

"There's also the possibility of Rasputin interfering," Ikora added. She stopped one of the paper balls flying towards her side of the big table and incinerated it with nothing but a thought.

"Seems like there's not much we can do but keep a close eye," Shin yawned, standing and stretching his back until he heard a satisfying crack.

Zavala nodded, eyes returning to his reports, "Seems so. Just don't make it obvious, Malphur."

"I never do."

* * *

Mira's fist connected with the punching bag, sending it rocking back. She had been there for hours, waiting for something to happen. The Vanguard or one of their representatives coming in and escorting her out; in handcuffs most likely.

She had started off in the training ring, going against some of the younger Guardians. After her performance in the Trials of Osiris, they knew who she was and she was glad for it. It meant they wouldn't hold back in the ring and she'd get the distraction she was looking for. But even after a while of knocking Hunters off balance, throwing Titans around like rag dolls and outsmarting Warlocks, she went elsewhere.

Shino and May had stopped by and Shino commented on other ways to relieve stress followed by another comment on how long it had "gotten some". She remembered one Hunter she spared with. The way he looked at her when he thought she didn't notice and the way his blue skin flushed a deep purple when she proved his assumption wrong. But she ultimately disregarded Shino's suggestion. She really didn't want to be touched right now.

Then May asked her about the dream and Shino shut up at the mention. It had been on and off again for them, unlike Mira for whom it was almost a nightly thing. They had also noticed differences in the dreams. May described it as a presence. Shino, a pressure. But both agreed, there was something there and the fact that they all saw it meant it was more than a dream; it was a memory. Of what, they knew not.

Mira hit the punching bag hard enough to send it swinging; a kick this time.

Had he told them yet? She hit the bag again. Had he? She was tired. She wasn't sleeping well and now she was remembering things she never could before. The sooner Aashir ruined any hopes for saving their friend, the better.

Her vision blurred again, this time with rage. How could anyone be so callous? For anyone but especially for one of their own.

"He probably doesn't even consider us his own, Khan," she muttered to her Ghost, landing strike after strike; each harder than the last.

"Remember when Marie used to talk about him?" Her Ghost asked, "She had nothing but good things to say."

Mira scoffed, "Well, I see none of the things she talked about. He's smart and powerful. Fucking good for him. He's also a terrible person."

Her Ghost was silent for a few seconds. Then he said, "Mira, turn around."

She did, struggling to keep her composure.

Aashir was at the door, leaning against the frame. Mira regarded him for a few seconds before turning back to the punching bag, "Can I help you?"

"Is the punching bag supposed to be me?"

She jabbed it twice, "Yes."

Aashir was silent and then just shrugged, "Whatever helps."

Mira stopped, catching the swinging punching bag, "What do you want Aashir?"

For the first time since they had met, Aashir actually looked somewhat nervous. Mira just then noticed his hands were folded behind his back. He moved them in front of him for her to see him fiddling with a small disc.

"What is that?" Mira asked without thinking.

"This…" He started and stopped, mouth opening and closing. He then stepped further inside, letting the door close behind him. He sighed and his eyes narrowed, "I'd like to apologize, Mira."

If Mira's eyebrows could shoot up any higher, they'd fuse with her hairline.

Aashir continued, eyes to the ground, "I was there in the Vanguard Hall but you knew that. I was there to talk to Ikora but…" he started to rotate the disc in his hands, "You…and Katrina and my team; you were all right. I was angry; felt slighted at first. A boy that I outrank by far, giving me orders. But then Asura was taken over and Aro starting concocting this fool plan to go into the Vault and…" he shook his head and sat on the bench against the wall, clutching the small disc tightly, "I don't want to lose my team, Mira."

Mira watched him, his eyes half closed and aimed at the ground, "I don't want to lose mine either. They're the closest thing I've had to a family."

The Exo shot up, "Then why did you agree to this?!"

"Cause Aro and Crona feel the same about Asura, as do I; for them and the others."

He watched her then. He stared at Mira for what seemed like forever. But nothing about his gaze was malicious or threatening. He seemed to be wrestling with his own rampant thoughts. Much like she did.

She could see the finality in his bright blue eyes when it came to him. He held out the disc, "These are the recordings. All your communications to the others at the Reef. All of it."

Mira stared at his hand, "You're not turning us in?" she asked, slowly taking this disc from him.

He lowered his arm and started for the exit, "No. I'm giving them a chance to save their friend."

She turned the small box over in her hands, "Why?"

"Because he's one of us and…and because it's the right thing to do," he said, although the words didn't seem to be his own, "There doesn't need to be any other reason. That should've been enough from the start."

He turned around on his heels and started for the door only to stop before it. "You…and they have my help should you need it," he said before finally leaving the training room.

Mira watched him go, then stared at the disc for only a another second before bringing her Light to the surface. Her eyes took on a bright blue glow as lightning crackled around her fingers. The disc sparked, smoked and shattered in her hands.

And for the first time that day, Mira's lips lifted in a semblance of a smile. "I take it back, Khan. Maybe he's not so bad."

"So Marie was right."

Her smile grew wider, "She always was."

* * *

 _I'm confirming Mira as bisexual._

 _So that makes Aro, Mira, Katrina, Josef and Aveline bisexual, Sora and Daniel gay, Crona, May and Erek straight and Shino as pansexual. I have this headcanon that all Exos are nonsexual but disregard gender when it comes to forming relationships_


	36. The Archives

_I apologize in advance if this is f*ckin terrible. Anyway thanks for reading etc etc_

* * *

 _The Archives_

* * *

"Your friend, can his information be trusted?" Petra asked as she and Aro briskly walked down towards the Queen's conference room.

"Tarlowe is easily one of the most intelligent people of I've ever met, of course he can be trusted," Aro answered, slightly harsher than he had meant to. It was just that he couldn't believe it when Tarlowe first told him and even now he was still having trouble believing it.

The watch. This whole time, it was Daniel's watch. The one left to him by his father with explicit instructions to take care of it should anything happen to him. Aro had lost count of the amount of times he had seen the thing. So perfectly inconspicuous.

That was the key to the Archives.

Petra shook her head, "How did he figure out what both we and the Tower's researchers have been unable to figure out for so long?"

The door to the conference room opened. Everyone was there, gathered around a holographic projector. Aro and Petra bowed to the Queen and the Prince and Petra took her place by the Queen's side.

On the opposite side of the room, Kayla stepped over, opening up a spot for Aro next to Daniel. After a second of hesitation, Aro took the space next to Prince Uldren.

Kayla looked from him and then to Daniel before awkwardly closing the space again. Daniel kept his eyes lowered to the table.

Aro uncomfortably cleared his throat, "Kain?" The Ghost appeared floated forward and sent a beam of light into one of the terminals, bringing up an image of Venus. Aro reached out to the hologram and pulled it towards him. He spread the planet out, zooming in onto one area in particular.

"The Archives, as you all know, has been locked down since the time of the Collapse," Aro started, "In that time, only two people have ever gotten inside. Adrian Suros and his younger brother, the Titan Vell Tarlowe, now known as the Herald, Greed." His eyes shifted to Daniel on instinct, who still refused to look at him.

Aro pushed down the knot welling in his throat, "That was nine years ago. Adrian and Vell went in but only Vell returned. When he did, he returned with a suitcase that had belonged to Adrian." The image of the Archives disappeared. In its place popped up Daniel's watch, Maya's bracelet and Christine's pendant, "These were the items inside the case, both when he left and when the case returned. And we believe that the watch," Aro pointed to it, "was how they managed to access the Archive's information. Information that Rasputin has kept under lock for centuries."

The Queen kept her eyes on the image, "Why go to such lengths?" she asked softly.

It was Kayla who answered, "He was operating under Rasputin's orders," she said, "Rasputin must've known about the Heralds back then like he does now. And he must've known that the Vault of Glass would be a big part of their plans."

"There's no way he could've known about your friend's turning," Petra stated, "That means there's something else going on in there."

"You say the watch can get you access to the main database? Where is it?" Uldren asked, eyes shifting over to Daniel.

Holding the Prince's gaze, Daniel dug into his pocket and held out the shimmering gold timepiece. He passed it to Uldren, who after a few seconds of observation, passed it on to his sister. "So you had the key to the Archives this whole time?"

"Seems so," Daniel answered bluntly.

"And you didn't know?" The tone of Uldren's question bordered on accusing.

"No. He told us he was leaving, he told us he would be back, he left and he never came back." His lip curled slightly.

Mara stared at him, "With the only witness being your uncle. Do you know if he had anything to do with it?"

"He killed my father."

Aro sighed. "Daniel, we don't know that."

Daniel's eyes widened in barely restrained rage, "And I suppose you know him better than me?" he seethed.

"Look, I'm not trying to defend him-"

"That's exactly what you're doing!" Daniel exploded.

"Enough." Mara's quiet voice silenced any further arguments between the two men before Aro could respond, "Save your arguments. There's work to be done. Get prepared, Guardians. You leave for the Archives within the next two hours. Petra will begin preparations on your ships."

The five bowed and exited wordlessly; tension followed them back.

* * *

"What was that, Aro? What's going on?" Crona asked quietly, coming up behind him. Aro, as well as the others, were in the Vestian Hangar, making the final preparations.

He let out a small sigh, "Daniel and I…got into a bit of an argument before Tarlowe called."

"A bit?" She asked, "That wasn't 'a bit' back there. And in front of the Queen?" Aro let out an irritated groan and tried to leave but her strong hand stopped him, "Aro. What happened?"

A few seconds passed before Aro turned to face her. Her brow was furrowed with both frustration and concern.

" I…" he stammered, "After the fight against Gluttony, I found his old journal. I've kept it this whole time, without telling anyone. When Daniel found it, he didn't take it well."

"Toland's journal?" Crona released his arm, "Didn't know he kept one."

"Few did."

The explanation made Crona's expression soften, but only by a little, "You can explain further later."

"I will. To everyone. I know I shouldn't have kept this a secret for so long but…"

Crona cut him off before he could start rambling, "I'll trust you had your reasons, Aro. But you should go talk to Daniel before we leave. Make sure this won't interfere with the job." She backed away, "We're finally making some progress on this little rescue mission. I'd rather nothing jeopardize it." With that, she turned and walked away, joining Erek and Kayla in a conversation with Petra.

Aro found Daniel, sitting on a set of crates, staring out into the hazy purple abyss. Aro made no effort to quiet his steps and Daniel turned slightly when he got closer, stared at him out of the corner of his eyes and then turned back towards the opening. "Yes?" He asked quietly.

"We need to talk."

His broad armored shoulders tensed, "You've had two years to talk. Don't switch up on my account."

Aro suppressed a groan, "Daniel, listen-"

Daniel hopped up off the crates, "No, _you_ listen." The Titan crowded him and Aro resisted the urge to take a step back, "I don't get you, Aro! You know what Toland was like! Aro, this is how he started. Weird obsessions, Keeping secrets from everyone who cared about him. Everyone who lov-" He stopped. It took Aro a second too long to see the tears welling in his downturned eyes.

Aro's heart twisted and he felt he could be sick right there. "Daniel…" he brought his hand up to the Titan's face. But Daniel grabbed it and stopped him.

"Forget it." He wiped his own eyes, "We've got work to do."

Daniel pushed past him walked away after that. Aro, unable to talk and knowing he didn't deserve to, just let him.

"Venus, coming up," Kain announced, signaling Aro to start making final preparations. The idle chatter between Erek, Kayla and Crona across the the comms, with Aro and Daniel pointedly staying out.

"When we touch down, make straight for the Archives," Aro ordered. He attached a Fusion Rifle to his back, "I wouldn't put it past the Heralds to have found out what we're planning. We'll need to move quickly."

"Think there's any chance of Rasputin interfering?" He heard Erek ask, probably to Kayla.

She answered anyway, "I doubt it. But if the Heralds show up, I wouldn't put it past him to do something drastic to prevent them from getting the information."

"They've gotten wind of our plans before…"

Aro loaded a Hand Cannon, "Which is why we need to be prepared for any possibility," he said, "We need the information in those Archives. No matter what."

A long, deafening silence followed until Kain spoke up, "Prepare for transmat."

* * *

"I'll admit, that was easier than expected," Erek said, pulling his knife out of a Fallen Winter's throat before taking time to survey the place right outside the Archives known as the Hall of Whispers.

"Even Rasputin is quiet. Well, as quiet as he usually is," Kayla added, walking towards corridor on the other side of the Hall. She stopped at the opening, "Guys...I think I found it."

Aro got there first, the others right on his tail. The door was an off silver, slightly black color, covered in dark green vegetation. Again, something so assuming…

Aro had reached to door before he realized what was still walking. He placed a hand against the cold metal before pulling away. Some of the black dust came off with his hand and a print was left on the door.

" _Ash,"_ Kain murmured only to him, " _From Guardian weapon fire."_

'Someone really wanted to get in," Aro muttered out loud, letting everyone hear him. He turned back to his team, who were still at the far end of the hall, "Can we get in?"

Kayla nodded slowly, gaze still on the door, "I think I can open it." She tore her eyes away from the door and moved towards a terminal Aro had walked past before.

She placed her hand gingerly against the terminal and waited. Several seconds passed, filled with nothing but silence.

Then the Exo gasped and the terminal screen lit up. The Hall of Whispers started to rumble violently, causing debris to drop from the ceiling.

The massive bay doors seemed to be doing most of the shaking. Thick vines and clumps of dirt were shaken loose as the massive doors whined and started to slowly open.

Aro couldn't help but gape at the sight, "Kayla, how did you…"

"I don't know," she murmured, obviously in as much awe as him, "I really don't know."

Aro walked closer to the widening crack between the opening doors. All he could see was a solid wall of black. Something was in the way and it was too dark inside to see.

He turned his thoughts to Kain, " _We're probably going to blast our way through whatever-"_

" _Look out!"_

The warning came to late as a Fallen Dreg suddenly leapt out through the opening crack and pounced on top of him. Aro let out a surprised yell and fell backwards, landing hard on the ground.

He could hear the footsteps of the others but he kicked the Fallen off with relative ease. Only when Crona had helped him upright did he see why the Fallen gave him no resistance.

It was dead.

He looked back at the Archive door. It was open completely and the ceiling lights flashed on one by one. With the lights on could they now see what was causing the obstruction behind the doorway.

"Fallen," Crona muttered grimly, holstering her rifle again. A pile of Fallen Winter corpses had spilled out after being pressed against the door for so long.

Crona's Ghost, Sol, appeared and started scanning the corpses. "They're dead…obviously. They seemed to have been poisoned by some kind of gas. I'm detecting a larger amount of the same chemical deeper inside but it seems to be mostly inert."

"How long have they been here?" Crona asked, crouching before the pile.

The Ghost visibly hesitated before turning his shining eye back to them, "They've been dead for around a decade."

A heartbeat passed before Daniel suddenly shoved past them. "Daniel?! Daniel!" Aro called but Daniel ignored him. He leapt over the pile of Fallen and stomped deeper down the winding hall. Aro growled and ran after him, calling his name all the way down the stairs.

"Daniel!" He finally grabbed the man's shoulder but was roughly shaken off, "You need to-" Both men froze.

At the center of the Archives was a large terminal that stretched up to the ceiling.

Against the terminal and slumped over was a human body.

"Shit…" was all Aro could bite out.

" _That's my dad…_ " Daniel gasped, his voice trembling violently, " _THAT'S MY DAD_!" He broke into a hard run and fell to his knees in front of the body. Even with the blood roaring in his ears, he could hear Erek's swearing and the others' sounds of shock.

Daniel held up the face in both hands, letting them all finally see who the man was. The resemblance to Tarlowe was striking. Christine, Maya and Daniel only slightly less so. His skin was pale and sunken; as lifeless as the rest of him. But with the sterilized interior of the Archives, there had obviously been little decomposition of the body.

This was Adrian.

Daniel held up his hand and released Caesar to scan the body. "No injuries. Nothing that would've killed him anyway," the Ghost said softly, "It seems he died the same way the Fallen did. Poison.

"How?! Why?!"

The Ghost turned back to Daniel, "I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

"But…" Daniel turned from the Ghost back to the body. He leaned forward and rested his head on the corpse's, "Dad…I'm here," they all heard him whisper, "I-I kept the watch safe. Like you asked. I…" His shoulders started to shake, "How could he do this?" His voice cracked, "My father's family took Vell in. Gave him everything! And…and he abandoned him."

"Daniel, I…" Aro searched within himself. Tried to find words of comfort; of encouragement. But there was nothing that could make this better and, with his behavior in regards to the person who had caused the man he loved so much pain, it shamed him to no end.

Aro had his comms set so only Daniel could hear him and dropped to his knees beside him, "Daniel...I'm so sorry. I...You shouldn't have had to see this."

Daniel's head turned to look at him and he lingered for a long time. Then he raised his arm, "Here." He held up the watch to Aro. Aro hesitated before reaching out

"We'll finish what he started," he said as Aro took the watch, Daniel's fingers lingering on his before he pulled away.

Aro stood and handed it to Kayla, "You know what to do?"

She nodded and waited until Daniel had moved his father's body before she went up to the terminal, "Sort of."

"Any word from Rasputin?" Erek asked, weapon in hand, "Advice? A warning?"

She looked at him, "He just wants me to be ready."

"For what?"

Kayla sighed, "Let's find out." She took the straps of the gold watch and snapped them together. She then felt under the terminal until she found the opening she was looking for. She then took the watch and inserted it into the opening.

The entire Archive suddenly came to life. Computers and machines that, on first glance, looked to have stopped working centuries ago, started up as if it was the first time.

A voice echoed across the speakers of the Archives. Loud, imposing and unmistakable.

"Rasputin," Aro stated, "Kayla, what's he saying?"

Despite the situation, she let out a small laugh "He's welcoming me."

Erek shrugged, "Well that's...reassuring?"

"So he's been expecting you?" Aro asked.

"He was expecting a fellow Warmind. I guess I'm the only one who showed up."

Aro's eyes flicked towards Daniel, still in the corner of the room holding his father's body, "Let's not waste anytime. If he was waiting, it means he has something for you."

At his words, a panel slid out of the main terminal. Kayla held her hands over it. "I don't know what's about to happen next, Aro." She sounded almost afraid; unsure.

"Whatever happens," he said, hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he was, "I trust you to get out of it."

After a few seconds, she nodded slowly, "Alright…alright."

She held her hands over the panel for a few more seconds before pressing them flat.

Kayla gasped, her entire metallic body jerking as if she was struck by lightning.

"Kayla?! Kayla!" Aro called as he started to move closer. The lights above blinked rapidly. All over the Archives, machinery gave off sparks and screeching cries, both quickly increasing in intensity.

It was like the Archive was a beast, finally awakened after slumbering for centuries.

Then in one moment, everything ceased. Kayla collapsed backwards, Erek moving quickly enough to catch her. "Kayla?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Sixx, can you hear me?" Erek tried again, addressing her Ghost.

"Rebooting her," the Ghost said. Just as it did, Kayla bolted upright, looking side to side like a startled animal.

Aro kneeled before her, hearing Crona and Daniel move up behind him, "Kayla, what happened? Did that kill you?"

She held her head, "No, no. Just...processing…" she let out a small gasp, " _Everything."_

"'Everything'? What do you mean 'everything'?"

Her arms flailed at the terminal, " _Everything!"_ she exclaimed, "Everything that was in there…" she pointed to the terminal. Then she slowly brought in her hand and tapped the side of her head.

Aro almost forgot to breath, "Everything?"

" _Everything."_

Aro shook his head to focus, "The Vault. What do you see on getting in and getting through?"

"A...map!" she whispered "I see...a map. Templar's Well. The Glass...Glass...fuck! There's... a lot. And I need time to organize it."

For the first time in awhile, Daniel spoke up, "What about keys?" he asked, his voice both rough and tired, "Do you see anything on keys?"

"I do and...I've seen them before." With Erek's help, she got to her feet, "You had your father's watch. One key. Your sisters; they have the others."

"Always wondered why your father wanted them safe so badly," Crona muttered.

"Aro?" his Ghost called out loud to everyone

"What is it, Kain?"

"We have Vex incoming."

"What?!" Aro's fear was worsened as thick grey clouds started to fill the Archives. Sirens started to blare as the familiar and dreaded screams of the Vex became louder and louder.

"They're probably here for whatever's on the Archives," Kayla muttered, calling a weapon to her hand. "Aro, Daniel, there's more," she pointed to the terminal, "I think you both should see it. We'll keep them off of you while you do."

Aro watched them take off into the fray. Daniel had already turned to the terminal screen. When Aro turned to join him, he was greeted by an image of Adrian on the screen. When he turned, the video started, as if it was waiting for the both of them.

" _If you can hear me, then I'm begging you to listen. My name is Adrian Suros. I am a citizen of the Last City on Earth_ ," Adrian's hand went up to his mouth and he coughed violently, " _Several years ago, I received a transmission. A message...from a being we thought long dead. But he's not. Maybe none of them are._ " Another bout of coughing; hard enough to make Aro wince, " _Rasputin, the Russian Warmind is alive. And something has worried him enough to bring him out of hiding. The Vault of Glass. Stronghold of the Vex on Venus but somehow...it isn't really theirs anymore. Something has taken it from them. Taken it from the inside. Rasputin never made it very clear. What he did do was allow me access into this place and helped me create a set of items as well as how to disguise them. If you're viewing this message, then you have one of them. The watch allows the bearer access to the information stored in the Archives; the information Rasputin stored. The other two keys, well...one lets you get into the Vault of Glass. The other will allow you to survive._ "

Adrian moved closer to the camera, " _That's...that's what you have to do. Get inside the Archives. Whatever the Vex and their new ruler are doing has to be stopped. I couldn't tell anyone at the Tower because I know they were watching. Not the Vex but whoever managed to usurp their control. There was only one person who I could trust with this. My brother. The Titan, Vell Tarlowe."_

Daniel's hands clenched.

" _He came in here with me. But when things started to go wrong...I sent him away._

Daniel's shoulders went limp. "What?" he whispered, leaning closer.

" _The Fallen got into the Archives and Rasputin managed to use whatever is in here to block transmats. It prevented our own as well. They were after the knowledge in the Archives and I...I couldn't let them get it!"_ A stricken look crossed the man's face, " _I was the one who activated the Archives defenses. Releasing the airborne toxin that's currently killing every living thing in in here, including...including me."_ Adrian was wracked with another bout of coughing, " _I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it past the Fallen with the keys. But Vell could."_

Daniel let out a shuddering gasp of realization.

" _I sent him back,"_ Adrian continued softly, " _If you're hearing this, then he made it home. I...I forced him to leave me behind. For the sake of the City, for sake of humanity...and despite everyone he had already lost...I forced him to leave me behind. The man's a hero and none should deny it. But I can't imagine what he must be going through, if he's still alive now. And my kids...my wonderful boys and my amazing girls. They had already lost their mother and now…_ " a solitary tear streaked down his cheek, " _But everything I do...I do for them. All of them. And Vell, on the chance he can hear this or will ever see this but...I couldn't let him stay behind. He's immensely powerful, I know that; I've always known it! But...he's my brother. My little brother. And I had to make sure he was safe."_ Adrian took a deep breath and his eyes started to droop, " _The next time the defenses are activated, the second stage will start. The Archives will be destroyed completely."_

"What?!" they heard Erek yell from afar.

" _Rasputin has probably already blocked transmat. You're going to want to get out. So I'll leave you with this final request; get into the Vault of Glass and put down whatever the Vex are planning. So many people, Guardian and non-Guardian alike have sacrificed so so much and I refuse to let the Vex destroy everything we have worked for. To my brother, Vell, to the woman I've come to call sister, Eris and even to Toland. To Tarlowe, Christine, Daniel and my baby girl, Maya. To all of you, I love you...and I'm sorry."_ Adrian gave weak smile to the camera and Aro knew it was his last, " _I'll say hi to mom for you."_

The recording cut. Aro turned to Daniel, whose shoulders were shaking. Before Aro could even utter a word, Daniel released an anguished scream and slammed his helmeted head against the terminal, sobbing profusely. Aro himself couldn't stop the tears coming down his own eyes.

Kain cleared them away. Aro reached under the terminal and grabbed the watch. Then he rose to his feet, took in a deep breath and gave the order in a thunderous voice, " _RALLY ON ME_!'

Crona, Kayla and Erek obeyed immediately and without question. "Kayla, grab Adrian's body," Aro commanded. She moved to obey at once, "Erek and I will take the rear. Crona, you and Daniel need to clear a path so Kayla can get through with the body. Daniel..." Aro dropped to his knees and hauled Daniel back to his feet, "Let's go. Let's get your father home."

Daniel's fallen shoulders slowly rose and squared. He nodded and move to stand beside Crona. She raised her arm and after a second, he bumped his own against hers.

" _GOOOO_!" Aro cried.

Daniel roared and burst into a cloak of brilliant Arc lightning. Crona followed suit and both dashed forward at inhuman speed. Vex were thrown to the side, shattered or disintegrated in their wake. Kayla ran as fast as she could with the body in her arms. All could feel the Archives shaking as the the explosives went off. They could hear the louder screeching of the Vex as they realized they could not get out.

They felt fear. Good.

They got to the closing entrance. Daniel turned around and grabbed Kayla, tossing her through gap where she landed outside with Adrian's body. But the gap was already becoming too narrow for anyone else.

Erek grabbed Daniel; Aro grabbed Crona and both bent the world around them. The collapsing interior of the Archives disappeared and was replaced by Venus' lush green grass.

The Archives closed behind them. When the shaking finally stopped, they knew it was over.

Without any words, the five Guardians transmatted back to their ships. It was time to leave the smoking wreckage of the great Archives behind once and for all.

They had gotten what they came for and more than they had imagined.

* * *

The service was short. Attended only by the Guardians, Petra, Variks and the Sovs themselves.

For his dedication to his work to the safety of both Earth and by extension, the Reef at the cost of his life, Adrian Suros was given full Awoken military honors. The first Human to ever receive them.

It was Daniel who lit the pyre. His face a mask to hide the storm of emotion and confusion he had been feeling since the last time he had seen his father. Adrian's ashes would be collected and stored until it was time for them to take temporary leave back to Earth before they went into the Vault.

The others offered their heartfelt condolences. Kayla, Erek and Daniel shared a long embrace. Petra slipped something into his palm and closed it and after a second of hesitation, embraced him as well.

Aro had to debrief the Awoken. Before he left, Daniel showed him what Petra had given him. A gold ring, similar to the one Tarlowe wore but smaller. It was found around Adrian's neck. It had belonged to their mother.

It was later that Aro found him in their room, facing away from the door. Daniel turned at the sound of Aro entering the room. Daniel raised Toland's open journal, "Sorry, I...I wanted to read it."

"Go ahead."

He turned back to it. Aro sat down next to him and watched him silently. Some parts made him frown. Other parts made him smile and even laugh slightly. He had a calm, almost serene air about him.

Daniel then turned the book down and hunched over. "He didn't kill him, Aro," he whispered. So quietly, Aro almost missed it, "He tried to save my father...and he couldn't. And when he came back...he couldn't bring himself to tell us. He died without telling us."

"I guess that's what he wanted," Aro murmured "Why he gave himself up to Pride."

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose, "The things I said to him…" A tear fell off his hand.

He sniffed and rose up, opening Toland's journal again. "Did you ever get to this part?" he pointed and Aro leaned over to see and smiled.

"That song he got from that game? Yeah, I read it."

"I used to think Toland was a bit of a songwriter back then. Coming up with something like this on the fly just to sing to a couple of kids," Daniel laughed softly.

" _Shadows fall  
And hope has fled  
Steel your heart  
The dawn will come_

 _The night is long_  
 _And the path is dark_  
 _Look to the sky_  
 _For one day soon_  
 _The dawn will come_

 _The shepherd's lost_  
 _And his home is far_  
 _Keep to the stars_  
 _The dawn will come_

 _The night is long_  
 _And the path is dark_  
 _Look to the sky_  
 _For one day soon_  
 _The dawn will come_

 _Bare your blade_  
 _And raise it high_  
 _Stand your ground_  
 _The dawn will come_

 _The night is long_  
 _And the path is dark_  
 _Look to the sky_  
 _For one day soon_  
 _The dawn will come"_

Aro listened and smiled as Daniel, in that deep soothing voice of his, sang the song he had grown up hearing. Back when everything was right with his world.

"That last part. 'The Dawn Will Come'," Daniel sighed, "It kept me going for a long time. Kept me...hopeful, even after my mother died. Then Toland was exiled. My father…" he swallowed, "Just thinking about it hurt after that because it sounded like a lie."

"And now?"

"It still hurts but...not as much," he murmured, "Greed. I know he still has to die. I know that but I'm not doing now because I hate him. I'm doing it because he doesn't deserve to suffer anymore. I owe him that much."

Daniel brought up his hand and stroked the back of Aro's neck. He leaned in and pressed his lips softly against Aro's, who deepened the kiss almost immediately. Daniel pulled away but kept his forehead pressed against the other man's. "I love you," he murmured against his lips.

" We'll get through this. Together. All of us," Aro whispered back. Then he could bring himself to do nothing else but push Daniel down to the bed, kiss him again and say, "I love you too."

* * *

Aro shut off the shower and slowly dried off. He wiped away some of the water on the glass and stared at his own reflection, already forgetting what he used to look like without bags under his eyes.

" _Kain?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _Do you…do you think I had something like that? Parents. A father who would risk everything just for a slim chance at my safety?"_

" _I can't tell you, Aro,"_ the Ghost answered, Aro knowing that full well he couldn't, " _But you care about Daniel. You love him. If what we've heard about his father is any evidence, you would've been like a son to him too."_

Aro leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the damp glass, closed his eyes and just breathed. "We'll make it worthwhile," he murmured, "I promise."

Aro shut off the light and walked out of the bathroom. The room was pitch black but he could hear Daniel's deep breathing so he managed his way back to the bed without light.

When Aro settled onto the bed, Daniel lifted up Aro's arm and pushed himself closer until they were flush together, arms wrapped around each other and breaths mingling.

The nightmares left him alone tonight. For once, the demons, both of the Darkness and his own, let Aro be. For that he was grateful.

Daniel's arms, the feel of his skin, his deep breathing. Let this be his everything for a little while. They would have to deal with reality again soon but for now, it would have to do without them.

* * *

 _Daniel Suros' theme is " **Strength" by Abingdon Boys School** (Soul Eater ED 4) cause it makes me feel things. Which I don't like_

 _P.S. I've decided to go ahead and do the Skyrim story. I've got about two chapters done and I might post the first one soon once I think of goddamned title_


	37. Greed the Defender Part V

_Short chapter. Takes place 1 year after Part IV and about 2-3 years before the events of House of Devils._

* * *

 _Greed the Defender Part V_

* * *

"You should find something to eat, Vell," Sera said, opening the blinds fully and without warning.

Vell growled and pulled the covers over his head, "Worry about yourself, Ghost."

Sera appeared above his covered head and floated closer, "I could call Eris…"

Vell's narrowed eyes appeared, "You wouldn't…"

"Maybe she'll dress you too."

Vell glared for a few more seconds before slowly disappearing back under the covers, muttering, "Do what you want, Sera."

The Ghost floated closer, her voice softening, "Please, Vell. For me."

Vell reluctantly rolled out of bed, trudging to the shower before his Ghost had a chance to get on him for that as well.

He turned the temperature up as high as he could, which wasn't very much. His Ghost started restricting the mechanisms when he first scalded himself. The habit never took root but still his Ghost worried.

He understood and was grateful for her concern but before, he hated her for it. From keeping him from feeling the pain he deserved.

He had done what was asked of him. He got the case back to Earth. Just without the person who was supposed to come back with it.

It hurt. It hurt worse and longer than any pain he had ever felt in his of the pain, he couldn't bring himself to break the news to his family or even attend the funeral service, sending Eris in his place to deal with his family's grief and confusion and ire.

A monstrously cowardly thing to do. Letting someone else deal with the aftermath of his actions. But no matter the justifications and no matter the self loathing he put himself through, the pain of a bullet was preferable to the shame of facing his family.

They came to the Tower occasionally; always demanding to speak with him and always being told he wasn't available. Sometimes they came together, other times it was just Tarlowe when he could find some respite from his new responsibilities as the CEO of Suros Foundries or it was Daniel, Christine and Maya when school didn't occupy their time.

Meanwhile, Vell lost himself in his work; taking missions that took him from the City for long periods of time. And when he was forced to rest, either by Eris, his Ghost or the Vanguard, then he lost himself in other ways; in drink, in training or in men's beds.

That was the reason, Eriana had told him. The reason why she recruited him after the disaster on the Moon. His ability to lose himself completely in his job, even if he had a bad reason for getting lost.

He had been deemed mentally unfit to participate in the fight to retake the Moon but both Eriana and Eris were sent. Judging by their accounts and the death toll, 'disaster' seemed like an understatement. But there was no other word to call it.

His Ghost had questioned him when he agreed to this mission; asked his reasons. It was simple, wasn't it? Crota needed to go down. She didn't believe him, of course, but she didn't attempt to change his mind.

Vell left the room, " _Is Eris around?_ "

"Ah, no actually. She isn't."

" _What do you mean?_ " Vell paused, moving to the side of the hall to avoid obstructing traffic, " _Where is she?_ "

" _She and Eriana actually left earlier today_ ," Sera chirped inside his head, " _I believe they were heading for the European Dead Zone. Has to do with the mission against Crota._ "

" _No details?_ "

" _None_."

The Titan frowned, "Huh. She never does that," he murmured out loud.

" _They'll be back later today. In the meantime, you need to eat._ "

He sighed, " _I'm not hungry, Sera._ "

" _Yes, you are. I can keep bothering you until you go._ "

" _I'm going to train, Sera._ "

Sera appeared in front of his face, "After you eat."

He pushed the Ghost away and kept walking. She reappeared, stopping him again and peering into his eyes, "Vell, please. Go."

So he did. He ate, then he trained for hours upon hours in weapons and melee until Shaxx forced him to take a break before he drove himself to collapsing. Vell couldn't bring himself to care if he did. He couldn't think while unconscious anyway.

Now he was in one of the empty lounges, in a chair and facing the setting sun and doing exactly what he had hoped to spend the day not doing.

" _I'm proud of you. I'm still proud of you._ "

If he were alive, would he still say that? Vell abandoned him to a painful death at the hands of the Fallen and the abandoned the last of his family when they needed him most.

Now, more than ever was the past so vivid in his mind. Vell remembered his birthday. His 21st; before everything. Back when he was surrounded by his family, calm, content and most of all, happy. Maybe one day, it could be like that again. If the turns his life has taken meant anything, it was that anything was possible.

"Vell?"

He had heard his name. But it was the voice that had him out of his seat before he even registered it completely.

The man who had said his name. He looked old and tired. But he still had the feathery white hair he always did and the blue eyes that had him stuttering like a nervous child so long ago.

Vell reminded himself to breathe because now; now he had a reason to continue.

"Toland?"

* * *

It was quiet. It was always quiet but Pride was gone for the moment. And with him, the pressure on the back of Greed's neck. Wrath(K) was still in the Vault. Sloth and Lust on their own individual tasks. He had left Greed with nothing to do but dwell on his own thoughts. If that was actually the case, Greed couldn't help but wonder if he was being punished for something.

"They got in," Envy murmured.

Greed shifted for the first time in hours at the sound of her voice, "Hmm?"

Envy's head turned away from the wall to face him, red eyes shining in the dark, "Aro and his clan, the Will of Light. They got into the Archives. Then they destroyed it."

Greed straightened up in his seat, "They destroyed it?"

Envy turned away from him again, "Vex memories report them leaving with a body. Anyone you know?"

Greed's hand tightened around his other fist, "You know exactly who that was."

The Exo let out a mirthless laugh, "Adrian Suros," she sighed, "Ah, I remember the day you first brought him to the Tower. So many Guardians smitten on sight."

"What do you want, Envy?" Greed growled darkly.

"It seems Pride sent the Vex in too late. They know how to get into the Vault now. And your nephew finished the job you never could."

Greed's tightening fist slowly went limp.

"There's also another thing. The Vex report one of the Guardians staring at something. A Titan. It seemed to make him very emotional. Your brother left a message for them. Did you know that?"

"Of course not!" Greed sprang up from his seat.

"Of course not," she echoed, "Pride would know about it if you did. So now what?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. They'll probably try to get to the Wraths."

Envy scoffed, "That's a given. But I was talking about you."

"What about me?"

"Daniel knows," she said, "Soon the rest of them will know. You gave yourself over to the Darkness for the chance to fix your…mistake. And now it's been fixed."

"But not by me."

Envy waved a gloved hand, "Details. The point is that your nephew knows and has probably started going through the process of forgiving you. You have no reason to be here anymore."

When Greed didn't respond, Envy continued, "This is what you get, you know. Giving yourself over to the Darkness for a selfless reason."

"As opposed to a selfish one? Like you?"

"Like me. Like Gluttony," she pushed off the wall, "Now they're on the path to forgiving you and you'll either kill them or die by their hand."

Greed's eyes fell to the ground, "I realize that."

"I figured." She turned to the exit, "And…about Eris…"

"Yes, I know. Thank you. When Gluttony died, I was worried about having to keep the Hive at bay myself."

"I accept your thanks, Greed. But I did it because Eris was important to me, as she was to him. As you were to him."

Greed's eyes widened slightly, "Did you…"

"No," she laughed softly, "Even if I did, I had no illusions of whether it would be possible or not." She began to leave.

"You don't think?"

"I'm an Exo, Greed."

"What does that mean?"

"If you don't know," she peered into his eyes, "Then you probably never will. Human."

* * *

 _For those who follow this story but not me as an author, I uploaded the first and second chapter of the Skyrim fic, "A Dovahkiin's Lie". Check it out if you like_


	38. You're Welcome

_Sorry for the late update. Finals were killer and I graduate college tomorrow. It's rather short but I hope you enjoy._

* * *

 _You're Welcome_

Wrath(A) fell to the hard ground sputtering. "Again," he gasped.

"You need to rest." Wrath(K) peered coolly down at him.

"I said again!"

"No."

"Wrath!" Wrath(A) growled in a warning tone, rising shakily to his feet.

But Wrath(K) deactivated the machine meant to change Wrath(A) into the person he was before. The wall closed behind the smaller Exo, who fell down to his back, "Why won't it work?! Fuck!"

"That is what I am trying to figure out." Wrath(K) already had holographic pads up in front of him, "Your masochistic tendencies are not helping."

"Go to hell."

"How very Earthen of you to say." Wrath(K) sent one hologram away and replaced it with another, reading and writing in a language only he seemed capable of understanding.

Wrath(A) shook his head in a futile attempt to clear the horrific scene from his mind. Blood everywhere. All over him. Filling his eyes; overwhelming his senses.

Why? Why was this affecting him?! It never did before.

" _Never would've guessed that you of all people were capable of remorse,"_ Asura muttered listlessly. The process wasn't succeeding in erasing him or his Ghost but having to fight to remain in existence was obviously taking his toll. No matter; soon he'll give up and accept his fate.

"Do you remember anything new?" Wrath(K) rumbled, breaking him out of his fog.

Wrath(A) shook his head, "Just bits and pieces. Nothing concrete except for what happened before I died. That…" he balled his hand into a fist to stop the shaking, "That's clear as day."

"The Time Bridge might be taking you on

a direct path backwards." Wrath(K) folded his arms, "Why it won't go past that point makes no sense."

"What about me?" Wrath(A) growled, "Why do _I_ feel guilty?! I know I wasn't before. Why do I feel it now? I'm not Asura!"

His ranting flew off into the void. Wrath(K) stared at him with unblinking eyes. "I can't tell you." He uncrossed his arms, "It might be the block keeping you from reverting back. Maybe not. Give me time to make adjustments. I suggest you rest in the meanwhile."

"I'd rather talk instead."

"Of course you would."

"Would it kill you to indulge me?"

"I'd rather not find out," he said. But the Herald closed his eyes for a while and opened them, "Ask your questions."

"What do you remember about your past?"

Wrath(K) was silent for a long time but when he did speak, his voice was uncharacteristically soft. "I was created in a government lab. United States, fifteen years before the arrival of the Traveler," he said, leaning back against the pillar behind him, "And around fifty years after you had been discovered on the Moon. As I told you before, they tried to recreate you in me but they never could. When the Traveler arrived and technology jumped ahead, I was abandoned."

"Did they kill you?" Wrath(A) asked him. Even Asura seemed to be listening just as intently."

"After the decades of work they put into my creation? They wouldn't dare," he growled, "They simply put me in stasis. I was killed during the Collapse. My Ghost found me centuries later."

"I'm sorry," Wrath(A) said truthfully, "It was wrong of them to do that. Discard you like nothing."

"Master Osiris was the first person I met when I got to the Tower," he continued, "I was a mystery. So strange; so inexpressive and emotionless, they wondered if my Ghost had made a mistake raising me. Osiris stood up for me. It's why when he came to me about the Vault of Glass, I accepted. No hesitation."

Wrath(A)'s eyes narrowed, "It got you killed. Pahanin went insane. He sent just the two of you in here-

"Praedyth."

"What?" He was taken aback by the force with which Wrath(K) said the word.

"Praedyth," the Titan bit out again, "I came into the Vault with _two_ others. Not just one. You…you don't know the name, do you," he stated more than asked. He shook his head, "Of course not. No one does."

"Who were they?"

"A Warlock, a member of the Future War Cult, a member of my fireteam…" his voice took on a different tone, "And one of the few friends I've ever had. He was…erased. Or rather, thrown out of time. It seems I alone retain memories."

The smaller Exo shook his head, "No."

"No, what?"

"I…I remember May, one of Asura's friends, studying mental illnesses and breakdowns among Guardians. Pahanin was one of the cases she focused on the most," Wrath(A) explained, "When he first returned from the Vault, he was ranting about what had happened. He kept repeating the name over and over."

"He remembered," he murmured.

"How do you feel about working with the man who killed him?"

Wrath(K)'s eyes narrowed in anger, "For the first year, it took Pride's constant vigilance to keep me from ripping him apart and letting him heal so I could do it again and again."

"And now?"

"The anger is still there. Burns every time I look at or hear him," He put a hand to his chest, "Now I rather focus on other things. Anything else you would like to know before this interrogation concludes?"

"Can I ask why you joined Pride?" He asked, wary of his reaction.

Wrath(K) stopped and his hands slowly fell to his sides. He was looking at Wrath(A) but his gaze seemed to go past him, "He promised me answers to my past. He promised to change things. Make the world better for people like me, though I never got the details. But mostly, he promised me a way to bring Praedyth back. The attack that pushed him out of time; it was aimed at me and he sacrificed himself. It should be me drifting in the void. Instead I'm here, working for the force I once fought against."

His arms slowly and shakily lifted back up, almost as if it was against his will and he haltingly continued working on the Time Bridge. Pride was watching them.

Wrath(A) pulled the cloak's hood over his eyes and laid down on the rock slab. After a few seconds, he lifted up slightly, "Thank you, Wrath. For telling me."

His eyes shifted over to him and stared for a while. "You're welcome," he murmured, too quiet for the other Wrath to hear."


	39. Wrath the Striker Part III

_Wrath the Striker Part III_

* * *

 _What day is it?_

 _Have any days passed?_

 _Do days even exist in here?"_

Kabr's thoughts cycled over and over, keeping him company through yet another long, dark and twisting tunnel. It was all he had. His thoughts and a burning anger weighing heavy in his chest, consuming him when the monsters of the Vault dared challenge him.

Those…"Harpies", if they still could be called that. Four of them and they were bigger than any he had ever seen on Venus or even Mars. Glowing an ethereal white with long, flowing tentacles extending from their bodies.

He had seen what the Templar could do. If he ever lived to sleep again, he'd mostly likely continue to see it for the rest of his no longer unending life; every time he closed his eyes. So he had watched them, as they slowly floated around the open, rocky terrain as if they were patrolling it, hoping to see a clear way through.

But he saw nothing. Their movements were random; no discernible pattern for Kabr to take advantage of.

His hopeless situation become even more so when he discovered what these Harpies were capable of.

A large stalactite detached from the high ceiling right over one of the machines. It's only warning to look up were the pebbles and dust falling before the main structure did.

It's fall path was straight down, pointed end aimed directly for the creature's white eye.

Then the eye turned red and the stalactite disappeared. Vanishing completely as if it were never there. Even now, possibly hours after he had seen it, Kabr wondered if it even happened.

But it did. He accepted it now. The Vex had erased with the stone with nothing but a short look. Most likely the same way Praedyth was erased.

If a person was smart, they'd figure out a way though. If a person had common sense, they'd turn around and leave the Vault behind.

But Kabr could not find the room nor the patience within himself for thinking clearly or for common sense. And at this point, Kabr couldn't be considered a person. Just a dead man walking, dedicating his remaining time to taking as many of these _things_ with him as he could.

No, he would not find a way around. No, he would not turn back.

He was going forward. Straight through, all the way to the end. And when he did, they would know him by the trail of Vex body parts and fluid left in his wake.

The first never saw him coming. The monster turned its back, eyes shining light at the ground it gazed upon. Weapons all dry, Kabr launched himself, arc lightning carrying him forward. The Exo slammed into the back of the Harpy and continued forward, smashing through the hammered bronze of its body as if it were not there. A large pillar stopped his charge, it's base cracking with the impact. The impact was painful and jarring but Kabr quickly moved around and behind the pillar, anticipating one or more of them to come investigating the sound of one of their own being destroyed. Two Harpies came in close to the remains, with nothing but the pillar between them and Kabr.

So Kabr pushed over the pillar; and unlike with the stalactite, this Harpy didn't even get a chance to look up. The pillar was silent in its fall until it boomed landing on the ground, crushing the both of them. The last sound they made was the high pitched scream they let out out when they were killed.

Kabr moved away from the wreck, knowing the crash would draw the final one.

It did. Kabr turned around and shining red light filled his vision. The Harpy screeched, the light of its eye growing in intensity as it prepared to rid reality of him

 _No._

Kabr's arm was up before he even realized he was moving. His arm stabbed straight through the Vex's eye. The machine screamed and shook violently with his arm jammed inside it. Then with a roar, he ripped it out, causing the Harpy to fall to the ground.

 _They would not have him._

What happened after was a blur, just like after Praedyth disappeared. All Kabr knew was that he didn't stop. He could still hear the Harpy whining weakly as Kabr brutally ripped out its parts one by one, throwing them all over the maze in his rage.

Now he was here. Armor burned black and covered in the lifeblood of the Vex, in a place that felt like the end. Crystal spires jutted from the found high into the air, converging at the top. At its bottom was an opening, shining with a light that blocked out whatever might have been through it.

Kabr was far enough from the spires that he could see the massive expanse of empty space behind it. This really was the end of the Vault and there was nothing. There was nothing here.

And yet, Kabr could feel eyes on him. The Vex but something else.

 _Someone_ _else_.

The Vex began moving in from every corner of the, weapons up and trained on him. Kabr balled his fists, lightning crackling up and down his arms. Shoulders hunched and head down, Kabr started towards them

Then the ground shuddered and the Vex stopped. So did he.

The converging spires started to pulse with blinding light that only got brighter. With each pulse, the ground shook even more violently than the last.

The light exploded outward, stopped and suddenly pulled itself inward. The formless glare started to take the shape of a kneeling bipedal creature.

Then the creature started to stand.

Kabr's balled fists loosened at the sight. This Vex; it was massive. Bigger than any he had faced inside or even outside the Vault. The metal of its body was the same silver as the light that brought it forth; unmarred and gleaming.

It regarded him. As unimpressed with Kabr as Kabr was awed by it. The way it stared, weapon down and with an air of command that no other Vex he had met possessed; it became clear.

This giant ruled the Vault. The Vex, the Harpies, even the monstrosity that was the Templar all served it. Kabr killed its strongest minions. And it had the _gall_ to be unimpressed.

The lightning came back. This creature could bring back Praedyth. Now Kabr was going to beat answers out of it, one way or another.

The Titan blasted forward; a bolt of lightning aimed straight at the giant Vex's center. He never saw it's arm come up but he felt it come back down.

Kabr hit the ground hard, cracking the armor on his chest and destroying his helmet. He slowly brought himself up to his feet and found himself face to face with the giant's weapon.

The Force Barrier he managed to bring up protected him from most of the damage but the blast sent him flying backwards. He hit the ground with a grunt and kept skidding towards the other end of the massive platform, grabbing onto the edge before he could slip off.

Kabr pulled himself back onto solid ground and jumped away to avoid another blast from the giant's cannon. The Vex on the sidelines followed his every movement as their leader continued to fire at him, forcing him to stay on the move. It was toying with him and he knew it.

Gliding through the air, an explosion from the attack threw Kabr off balance. He landed on the ground with a pained grunt and managed to bring up a Ward of Dawn before any of the attacks could make direct contact.

Behind the safety of the barrier, Kabr scrambled to his feet; shoulders heaving in an imitation of organic breath. He clutched his left side. One of supports that held up his torso has been broken and was currently piercing further inside him.

The creature continued to blast at his shield. It must've known it would have to drop soon and it would. But for now, he had a few seconds to bre-

A Vex Minotaur's arm struck him from behind. The impact broke one of the hinges of his jaw and sent him hurtling out of the Ward.

He smashed against one of the rock pillars and let out a cry. The other support for his torso had snapped and now his chest was preparing to cave in on itself. When he made it to his feet again, all he could see was blood red.

The giant started to glow, like before it had appeared. When Kabr launched himself forward, roaring with anger, light exploded out from the Vex and the blast knocked him back second time.

Kabr tried to pull himself forward but could no longer feel any part of his body. _"No_ ," he growled through his loose hanging jaw.

He raised his hand towards the giant Vex, reaching out. His fingers were flickering. Like Praedyth before…

Kabr pitched forward, towards the hard stone ground. He never touched it. The Vault flickered out from under and around him. Then he fell, down into pitch black nothingness, with nothing but his own soundless screams accompany him on the long way down.


	40. Wrath the Striker Part IV

_When I tell you writer's block hit me hard…_

* * *

 _Wrath the Striker Part IV_

* * *

 _Where am I?_

Eyes opened slowly. Figures moving back and forth in front of them. Some stopping to stare. Voices muddled and murmuring.

" _Finally…"_

" _Complete…"_

" _Still an imperfect copy…"_

" _It's the best we could manage…_

" _Wait…his eyes! They're open!"_

" _He's awake…"_

" _He's alive!"_

"… _He's watching us."_

Kabr remembered this dream. The morning before the day he would leave for the Vault. When the biggest thing he really had to worry about was who he really was.

Like before, his eyes opened. Unlike before, he was greeted by pitch blackness instead of warm sunlight. And unlike before, the dream didn't fade away. Instead, it stuck to his mind. Less like a dream and more like memory now.

Kabr was aware he was floating; somewhere in the Void the Warlocks loved so much. He remembered Osiris or Ikora accompanying him to the debates, which were lively to say the least. While the greatest Warlock minds of the City howled and caused scenes, Kabr watched and learned. Not about the Void, no. On that subject, he couldn't care less. It was a tool, nothing more. He learned how to be a person, with all the passion and emotion that came with the territory.

Strange. That such a horrible place would bring back so warm a memory. Or that the memory would stick to his mind as it was now.

Kabr belated wondered how long it would take him to die. Death must have been coming, seeing as his life was so vividly flashing before his eyes.

Then it came to him. As if whispered into his head.

This was his past. _The_ past. And he was watching it happen as if it still were.

For the first time in his life, Kabr nearly panicked. He attempted to close his mind to the void. Shut everything out, stop panicking and _think_!

But the visions of his past forced themselves into his mind and when he finally stopped fighting it, Kabr realized…he could see _everything_.

The discovery of the Traveler, the Fallen Whirlwind, the Golden Age! They were like old memories. The giant Vex had knocked him out of the time stream and now, now he could see it all.

Kabr saw three aliens descend into deep into their planet and come across giant talking creatures. He knew nothing of them except that they were sisters and they were desperate for the power to protect those they cared about; no matter the horrific costs.

He saw a planet falling to the Darkness and its forces. Two Exos he did not recognize fighting and both just barely managing escape the planet just before it and everyone still on it, was swallowed whole.

Kabr saw a Cabal command ship hurtling towards the Sun. He saw a giant mass of Darkness, pulsating like a heart, with legions of Vex protecting it. Strange black and white creatures, twitching in barely restrained agony. The City; in flames and the Traveler trapped.

 _You're still around? Interesting._

Kabr tensed, twisting around in the void to locate the disembodied voice echoing across the black. Nothing was there except nothing itself.

 _I've been watching you from afar, Kabr. I would've helped you in your fight but it would seem I am unable to come to you._ The voice continued talking, oddly human for not having a source.

 _Was it a life well lived, Kabr? So many unanswered questions._

Kabr's past moved to the forefront again, only this time, he watched from the outside. It was a laboratory; dark and mostly empty. At the center of the of the lab was a vat, filled with liquid.

Inside and riddled with wires, was a body.

 _Look familiar?_ The voice was so close, he swore he could feel the lips graze over the side of his head.

It was him. Just as he was in his dreams.

" _You're wondering what this is_. _You're wondering what you're seeing. But you know the answer. Or part of it._

Kabr tried his voice. He found he could talk now. "What do you know," he said lowly, "What happened to me?"

 _Isn't it obvious? You were created, experienced a few seconds of life and then was promptly discarded._ The voice gave off a feeling of amusement and disgust. _Like the newest version of a vehicle or bit of technology, they found better and left you behind._

"Why did they create me? Why?!" Kabr yelled into the void. "ANSWER ME!" He roared when the voice kept silent.

 _You want answers. That's good. I want Atheon's head on a plate. We could help each other, you know._

Kabr's shoulders went slack, "What could I possibly do from here? That monster won."

To his surprise, the voice laughed; a booming thing that resonated across the nothing. _What could you do? The same thing you did to get where you are, Kabr!_ _Get angry._

" _Look at how they abandoned you. Left you without answers back then._ " The vision of his body on the vat filled his head. His shoulders tensed and his fists tightened.

 _And then Pahanin…_

"Pahanin?" He spun around in the void, "What happened to Pahanin?!"

Kabr could almost feel the void bend to his will. A vision of Pahanin came forth. He was back in the City and out of his armor. He was sitting on a chair inside a room; a holding cell within the Tower it looked like. He was talking to someone across from him, looking tired and sick."

"That's…that's Osiris," Kabr murmured to himself. Louder, he asked, "Why is he in a cell? What is this? What am I seeing?"

 _Your friend is being questioned. What happened to you? Why did the mission fail? Osiris is doing the questioning because he knows he will be hit with the repercussions. Both politically and emotionally. Sending two men into certain death? He was lucky to get one back._

"Two? There…there were three of us! Praedyth-"

 _Knocked out of the timestream. Protecting you, no less._ The voice made sure to emphasize the second part. _Like you are now, Praedyth is drifting the nothing. Just without me to keep him company._

Kabr could feel his whole body heating up, "Where? WHERE IS HE?!"

 _Where are you?_

"I…I don't know."

 _Yes you do. You're nowhere. Just as he is. Outside of this Vault, no one remembers him. He never existed and everything he has done will cease to exist with him. Even now, you start to fade from the minds of the outside world. The only one who remembers is Pahanin and soon they'll be assigning him permanent psychiatric help. After all, only two went into the Vault._

Kabr was stone still. "No," he murmured.

 _Praedyth's fall isn't over… because it hasn't happened yet… and it will happen again. And again and again. Will you let it, Kabr?_

" _NO."_ His voice came out deeper than it was before. He couldn't begin to believe it was his own. He didn't care.

He felt a presence move closer, almost crowd him. _Do you want to know how to stop it, Kabr?"_

"How? _TELL ME!"_

Laughter boomed across the void. _Get angry, Kabr! Get angry! Make Atheon suffer! Like you made the Gorgons suffer. Like you made the Templars suffer! LIKE HOW THE WORLD HAS MADE YOU SUFFER!"_

The presence became smaller and closer and it's voice dropped down to whisper, dripping fire through his ear to reach his very body. _Because angry? Angry is good. Angry…GETS. SHIT. DONE._

The voice's last words danced in his head. Like before, red flowed into his vision. Unlike before, he did nothing to control it; to direct it. This time he surrendered everything he was to it and it took him happily.

* * *

The sound of a roar matching no creature on record is what first caught the attention of the Vex. It was a roar of exertion, grief, desperation. Not that it mattered to the Vex. It was an intruder.

Atheon raised its weapon, advancing towards the sound. It could feel…something rippling across time and space. Tearing its way through the fabric of reality to get into the Vault; which should've impossible in every way.

Something flew out from the nothing, striking Atheon hard and fast. Atheon toppled backwards and fell against one of the stone spires. It's eyes trained onto the ground, looking for what hit it.

It was that Guardian from before; covered in white Arc Light and huffing like a primitive beast. Atheon was sure it had disposed of the annoying thing. No matter. The mistake will soon be correct-

Atheon was hit again. This time hard enough to dislodge the pillar Atheon had fallen against and send it falling down into the void. The tiny creature was sprawled across Atheon's chest, bright blue eyes boring into its own and a liquid bubbling and foaming from its mouth.

The other Vex units quickly moved in shooting. The creature showed no response to the blasts of energy pelting into its back.

Atheon's arm came up and struck at the Guardian, sending it flying across the Glass Throne and smashing into the ground in a shower of dust and rubble. The Vex started to move in on the cloud, shooting into it.

Atheon stood up and a massive quake almost dropped it down again. In one big explosion of lightning, every Vex close to the Guardian disappeared; eradicated completely.

Atheon was struck again before it could even register what had happened. The impact destroyed several supports in Atheon's chest.

The Guardian bounced off, hurtled towards the ground and used the hard stone as a springboard towards Atheon's knees. Metal from both of them went flying off upon the brutal impact. The leg gave out and Atheon had to bring its free hand up to keep itself from toppling over. That lasted until the invader shot straight through the metal casings and wires of the arm joint, causing it to fall off and away.

Roaring in outrage, Atheon fell, twisting to land on its back. The Guardian appeared on its chest again, eyes boring down into Atheon's. It belatedly remembered that it's weapon had been knocked away as it grabbed for it in desperation.

The Guardian dropped to its knees, brought its fist up and struck down. The force of the impact caused Atheon to scream. The giant Vex cried out with each strike as the Guardian proceeded to beat its chest in in an effort to reach its core.

The blows came faster and faster; now hard enough to make Atheon's entire body jerk with each strike. Fists opened when Atheon's chest did and the Guardian proceeded to begin ripping the metal from Atheon's body with clawed hands and impossible strength. Unable to move its remaining arm, Atheon roared and attempted to gather what was left of its power. Beams of light shone out from the cracks all over its body. One more chance. Send the Guardian away into the nothing.

Kabr's arm went deep.

The casing of Atheon's core broke apart. Radiolarian fluid slowly filled its chest and dribbled out onto the ground. The giant Vex's limbs went still as the lights of its body slowly flickered off.

Kabr fell to his knees in a pool of white fluid. His arms hurt. His legs hurt. Every inch of his body and soul felt as if he had been lit on fire. His mouth hung open, damaged in the fight and black, acrid smoke seeped out of it, into the dark. Kabr's body began to lock up and the light of his vision started to dim.

With the last of his mind still with him, Kabr felt cold hands press against the sides of his head. The last thing he saw before he slipped back to the nothing was a face. A face with red eyes and a proud smile.


	41. Wrath the Striker Part V

_Wrath the Striker Part V_

* * *

At first, there was nothing.

Then there was light; brilliant and all encompassing. For a half moment, Kabr thought that it had all been a death dream. That his Ghost never died. That Pahanin was still here with him. That Praedyth wasn't drifting outside of time, slowly losing his mind.

Then the pain set in. And with it, reality.

He couldn't move. Not even the smallest joints in his body but just existing, being alive, was enough to bring on mind rending agony.

Cool skin moved onto his battered metal head. Soft words were being murmured to him. Kabr couldn't make out what was being said to him but he knew they were meant to be comforting. He only realized he had been screaming when he stopped.

"Can you hear me, Kabr?" The voice murmured. The pain was ebbing away, starting from the hands on his head traveling down to his feet. Kabr nodded, hearing the creaking of the joints in his neck.

The voice laughed. It was smooth, deep and genuine. "You overdid it, friend. But you _did_ do it. What a display. I'm almost frightened."

Kabr's realized he was on his knees, in a pool of white fluid. His eyes shifted down.

Atheon stared back up at him.

Kabr started screaming again, his body tensing in terror and the pain returning. Again, relief came from the hands on his head, quieting him down. The hands moved downwards and wrapped around his torso. Suddenly, Atheon's dead eyes was replaced with the cold stone of the ground. The hands gently but firmly guided him to lie on his back.

Kabr's eyes flicked up to the source of the voice. The man was hooded. Only deep red eyes shone out from the darkness.

"Are you calm now?" He asked. The red eyes held a small measure of concern.

Kabr's eyes turned towards Atheon's body. The man had teleported them away from the smoking metal carcass. Kabr nodded, with no small effort.

"Good." The hands came back on his head and relief washed over him again. "Can you speak?" He asked.

The first sound that came out of his mouth was a croak laced with electronic static. He tried again, this time producing something more coherent. "Who are you?" He asked.

One red eye narrowed, giving off the impression of a raised eyebrow, "Straight to the point, aren't we?" The person's hands let Kabr down to the ground and took on a more relaxed, human sitting position with one arm crossed over an up-pointing knee.

"Pride," he finally said, "Call me Pride."

"Strange name." Kabr's voice was coming in clearer now.

Pride laughed, "Still getting used to it myself. And it's been centuries."

Kabr's eyes returned to the endless void above their heads, "What happened to me?"

"In short, you're dead."

Kabr's eyes swiveled back over, searching for some kind of indication that he was joking. Nothing in those red eyes told him it was a joke.

"So this is the afterlife?" Kabr had never heard his own voice tremble before, "This is hell?"

Pride gazed around the Vault, "It's hell. I'll admit that." Pride's eyes returned to him. A set a brilliant white teeth flashed underneath his hood, "But it's not the afterlife. Because you're not exactly dead."

"I don't understand," Kabr moaned. The pain was coming back. Panic setting in with it, "Please…please tell me what is going on."

Pride placed his gloved hand on Kabr's chest, letting relief wash over him as before. The red eyes blinked several times and shifted around, as if he was trying to figure out the best way to explain.

"I'm not sure how I'm doing it," Pride began, "Honestly, the specifics were never given to me but…you are actually dead. I've connected myself to the last of your Light to keep you around, albeit temporarily."

"How?"

"Like I said, I don't know." Pride's leg started to shake, as if he was riddled with anxiety, "I've never really done this before, to be perfectly honest."

The shaking stopped, "But I did it so we could talk. You killed Atheon, Kabr. Singlehandedly. And the Gorgons and the Templar too."

"I brought you back to offer you a choice." Pride's tone became cautious but ominous all the same, "I have big plans. For Earth and for humanity's survival."

"Do you think that thing is the most dangerous creature walking around?" Pride nodded back towards Atheon, "There's monsters out there like you wouldn't believe, Kabr. I could use your help in fighting them."

"Who are you?" Kabr asked again, " _What_ are you?" There was… _something_ rolling off Pride in waves. Kabr was amazed how he could've possibly missed it before. His energy, his aura filled the area. But when Kabr looked at him, the nervousness was obvious. None of it made sense.

"I'm a…" Pride started before shaking his head, "I'll explain later. Once we're done here."

Kabr suddenly rolled over, ignoring the vehement protest of every joint of his body. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

The red eyes narrowed, "We had a deal. I help you kill Atheon. You help me-"

With significant effort, Kabr stood, "Atheon is dead. This whole… _thing_ is over." He trudged for what he hoped was the exit.

Pride's leg started to shake again. His hand went to his covered face. "No," he groaned. The shaking increased in intensity, _"No."_

The shaking stopped. Pride's hand slowly dropped down and his voice became eerily calm. "And what of Praedyth, Kabr?"

Kabr stopped. He turned back towards Pride. The hooded man's shoulders, which had been so tense before, were down.

Kabr glared at him. Red eyes glared back. "What about him?"

Pride's brilliant white smile returned, "I was under the impression you wanted him back," he laughed and stood, "My mistake."

Kabr started back, shoulders hunched, "What do you know?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"You're lying!" Kabr let out a hoarse roar. He reached out for Pride's head only to suddenly drop to the ground, knees giving out from under him completely. The Exo fell face first onto the stone ground before Pride, unable to even move his arms and stop his fall.

Pride glared down at him, still sitting, "Are you finished?"

All Kabr could manage in response was weak static. The world was getting darker.

Pride looked away, "Like I said, I'm the only thing keeping you alive right now," he threatened, "Remember that when you feel the need to put your hands on me."

Kabr gasped as energy returned to his limbs. He weakly got up to his knees, "You said you can help me."

"Yes?"

"But you said you can't bring him back." Kabr got louder.

"That I did."

"Then if you can't bring him back then who can?!" Kabr's voice echoed across the void.

The red eyes bored into his head for very long time. Then Pride's hand lifted and he pointed at Atheon's corpse.

Kabr blinked and looked back and forth between the two, "I…" he stammered, "I don't…"

"Take on Atheon. Take his mantle; his power! You're the only Exo I know of that can survive the process." Pride shrugged, "Only one still alive at least. A certain Iron Lord went and got himself wrapped up in a fate worst than death-"

"You're mad," Kabr gasped, "Out of your fucking mind!"

"But not wrong." Pride stood up and started pacing. Kneeling, Kabr could see that he was rather tall. "With Atheon's power; with control over this Vault, you could find out everything about your past. Why you were built the way you were built. Why-"

"Why I've never felt like a person," Kabr muttered, shoulders slumping over.

Pride stopped before him, "You've always been a person, Kabr. The fact that such an extreme event as dying brought your emotions to the surface just proves that you are." He stepped back, "But if you want answers…if you want Praedyth-" Pride stuck out his hand, "Then you'll need help. Let me help you."

Kabr stared at the extended hand. This was madness. There was no other explanation. Some _man_ , Kabr wasn't sure if he was even human, had helped him. Not necessarily saved his life but still helped him.

He should let this go. Everything inside him was screaming to reject the deal and just move on into his death.

But Praedyth. He sacrificed himself for Kabr. If there was a chance...could he ever forgive himself for not taking it?

He knew the answer to that. So did Pride.

Kabr grabbed Pride's hand. Then his body felt as if it had burst into flames. Pride let go of him as he fell backwards, screaming and thrashing. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life fighting the armies of the Darkness. Never before had any form of pain made his wish for the mercy of swift and permanent death.

The pain continued to climb, leaving Kabr unable to do much of anything other than besides twitch violently on the ground. Then it all stopped. Pride roughly grabbed onto his shoulders and teleported them back to Atheon's body, right above the ragged radiolarian fluid filled hole that had been torn into his center.

Pride let go of his shoulders.

Then he kicked the Titan square in his chest.

Kabr fell backwards into the pool of radiolarian fluid, thrashing as he sank. under.

It was getting everywhere; in his ears, in his mouth, inside every opening of rended metal on his body.

Above the surface of the pool, Kabr could see a hazy image of Pride, eyes piercing into his cloudy vision.

He just barely saw Pride's mouth move and he hadn't the faintest idea what was said.

But he knew. Somehow he knew. And his body moved to obey.

Kabr started to pull the fluid into his body. His surroundings started to shake as Atheon's corpse shuttered. Kabr felt his arm fly forward and a large shadow suddenly passed over Atheon's core, temporarily shrouding everything in darkness.

His body felt much heavier than it had ever felt before and the world seemed to spin and twist every time he moved his body.

He felt bigger and taller than the world itself. He felt like he could fight god after god and never falter; never tire.

Still, his body continued to obey. He felt himself shrink and compress but not once did Kabr feel any weaker. His knees hit stone ground. Radiolarian fluid dropped profusely from his body.

Atheon's remains had disappeared.

Pride was before him, hand extended again. When Kabr grabbed it, Pride pulled him to his feet. He opened and closed his hands, staring as if he wasn't sure they were really his.

"How do you feel?" Pride questioned, neck craned to look up at him. The threatening tone he took on before was gone now, replaced by the slight meekness he displayed when they first met face to face.

He was himself again but at the same time different. "Better," was his reply.

Pride smiled.

Kabr looked over at where Atheon had been, seeing only a puddle of fluid. "So I…"

"You took him in," Pride finished for him, "Him and all his abilities. At your disposal."

Kabr found himself staring at his hands again.

"Now before we go any further, you need a name."

Kabr looked at him, "I have one."

"Kabr is dead." He pointed at the puddle of while liquid, "He died right there." Then he pushed a finger against Kabr's hard chest, "You? You are different. Better. And you deserve to leave that Kabr behind." Pride held up his hands, creating a sphere of blurry light. The sphere flattened into an oval and began to reflect the image of Kabr's face. Kabr gaped at the color of his eyes.

"Now we match," Pride laughed.

The Titan blinked at his reflection, "If not Kabr, then what would you call me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked, "After how you gutted this place with nothing but your fists and your anger, there's nothing else. Wrath. Wrath the Striker."

"Wrath," he repeated in a murmur, "And Praedyth?"

Pride's hand clasped onto his shoulder, "We'll bring him back," he said, "On that, you have my word."

"When do we start?"

"We begin now. Reactivate the Vault. Every Vex machine you killed, bring them back. You'll need them."

Just like before, the Titan's body reacted. With just a few words, Kabr was left behind and Wrath moved to obey.


	42. Keep the Faith

_Back to our regularly scheduled programming…_

* * *

 _Keep the Faith_

* * *

The gun signaled its emptiness with a click. Aro ducked behind cover just as another Arc Hammer blast from the Wretched Knight slammed against it.

He released the clip. " _Ammo reserves?_ " He asked Kain.

" _Still good."_

" _Where are the others?_ "

A high pitched screech pierced the air from behind. He turned to see a Hive Wizard already powering up an attack against him.

Before it could open fire, a swirling buzz saw of Arc Light burst through its chest. It let out a final wail before collapsing into dust. Erek landed and rolled, coming to a stop next to Aro.

"It's slowing down, Aro," he said breathlessly, "We're hurting it."

Another explosion. "Are we?" He asked deadpan.

"Guys, we've got more Hive incoming," Kayla buzzed over the comms.

"A lot more." Thrall shrieks could be heard over Crona's comms.

Erek fired his gun behind Aro, dropping several Acolytes, "We see them."

" _Aro. It's time._ "

Aro growled. " _Yeah, I know._ " Out loud, he called, "Erek, cover me!"

"Go!" He stabbed a Thrall in the head, "I got your back."

"Daniel?"

A grunt of frustration came as his response. "Way's clear for now. Do… _it_. I guess." The apprehension and dislike in his voice couldn't be more obvious.

When the old Vandal put forth the proposal that they use Aro's latent power to their advantage, it took days to convince the six Guardians. But one by one, they acquiesced, Daniel naturally being last. After all, it required Aro working himself up or putting himself in harm's way and then giving himself into it.

Variks called it "the Dragon". Whatever it was, whenever Aro tapped into it, it felt as if he was…reaching out. To something far but close at the same time. Part of him but much, much darker.

The very first time he managed to tap into the power, Variks had been recording him. He had just finished off a group of Cabal; ripping them apart with the fury of the Void. Cabal, crushing with the Void and burning with Solar fire; amazing feats he could barely remember. He saw his hunched over form straighten up, his shoulders relax and his head turn to where he somehow knew he was being recorded from.

And staring straight into the camera, his eyes pure, shining white and with black smoke pouring from the sides of his slightly open mouth, Aro had smiled; a disturbed and malevolent thing.

A display that shook all the others to their cores but only seemed to tell Variks one thing; this "Dragon" wasn't just fighting off pure instinct. Aro was in there somewhere.

Aro jumped clear over a Hive Wizard, letting Erek behind him handle it. He got as close to the massive Knight as he dared; it's roars and stomping were much more thunderous up close. It's back was turned to him; Crona and Kayla were holding its attention.

"Now or never." Aro tended his entire body, forcefully bringing up memories and images that had put him in distress before. Previous fights and visions that had appeared in the worst of his nightmares.

Another loud explosion rang across the arena. The sound of Kayla dying was louder to his ears.

"C'mon," he muttered, going deeper into his own head, "C'mon!" He let it build, let everything well up inside until he could just barely keep a lid on it.

Then he let everything out.

Aro's helmet disappeared and a massive gout of fire blasted from his mouth. The Knight turned just in time for the blazing spear to shoot straight through the it's hard chest and splash against the back wall.

Aro heard nothing. Not the explosion, not the Hive's death throes. Nothing but the same deep voiced laugh, echoing in his head.

He used the sound as a focus; bringing himself back down to reality. He knew one of the others were nearby, ready to take him down should he spiral completely out of control. "Reset him" as Variks tactfully put.

Aro fell to his knees, hand to his chest as his heart beat like it could escape his chest. Kain put his helmet back on and assisted as Aro worked on regulating his breathing. The easy part was letting go. It was near impossible to wring it back in.

After a minute, Aro stood. Erek's hand went to his back when it seemed he might topple over backwards. He most likely had a gun ready in the other, "Aro?"

He coughed. "I'm good. I'm fine."

The telltale sound of the safety clicked on.

" _They are dead. You…are not."_

Kayla's weak mockery of a cheer lifted the tension. Erek patted him on the back with a soft laugh.

* * *

"Guaaardians!" Variks came hobbling over as quickly as his staff and bowed legs would let him, "I come bearing gifts! From Her Majesty herself!"

Behind him, two Reef soldiers carried large chest with surprisingly relevant ease. They saluted the Guardians. Then they bowed to Erek before leaving.

Behind Aro, Erek sighed and Crona laughed.

Kayla looked over from behind Aro's shoulder, "When do we see her?"

"Soon, my friends. Soon." Variks turned his stave over and used it to lift the top of the case open, "Prince Erek. Daniel Suros. Step forward."

"I'm not a fuckin…" Erek sighed but stepped forward. Daniel followed suit. Variks lifted a a bright white chest piece with a wolf's face on the front. Erek seemed to recognize it because his eyes widened and he reached out for it. "Where did you get this?"

"We kept…souvenirs from our few joint efforts during the Reef Wars," Variks explained, albeit haltingly, "We studied them. And with the help of the Tech Witches…we recreated them."

Erek's Ghost appeared, her eye scanning over the glimmering piece of armor. "The _Crest of Alpha Lupi_. Designed for Hunters." The Ghost explained, "Cycles and holds excess Light to allow for quicker revivals."

"Daniel Suros. We have the same for you." Variks gestured towards the container, prompting Daniel to step forward and lift the heavy piece of armor out. It really was the same as Erek's but bulkier, heavier.

"Crona," he called next, "The helmet of a legendary member of your order. Saint-14 himself."

Crona looked down at the silver and purple helmet and back at Variks. "I'm starting to wonder how you really got ahold of all of these," she muttered.

"What is the old Earth saying? 'Do not look a gift horse in the mouth.'?"

"Right." She accepted the helmet with a nod.

"Kayla." He lifted a pair of manacles out of the chest, "The _Sunbreaker_ gauntlets. You wield heat, fire and light like the sun itself. I cannot think of someone to better use these."

"I…" she took them before nodding meekly, "Thank you."

"Finally. Aro." Variks held a beautiful silver pistol in his hand. A Hand Cannon with feathers etched into both sides of its sleek metallic body with pitch black accents. From the butt of the gun curved one long, wicked talon.

"The _Hawkmoon_." Variks said with an air of finality, "Keep your aim true and keep one hand free, Guardian. You know where your true strength lies, don't you?"

He was referring to the last fight. And Aro knew it. "I do. Thank you."

Variks hummed warmly "Thank the Queen when you see her."

"I'll accept it now." Her soft voice startled them all. Variks quickly moved out from between the Queen and the Guardians, hand to his chest. "Your Majesty. I was unaware that you would visit us here."

"I simply saw no point in waiting," she said, her eyes glancing at the old Vandal before returning to the Guardians. After a second, Aro took a knee and bowed his head. The others quickly did the same.

"Rise, Guardians. We have too much going on to stand on ceremony." They did as told. "You know your mission?" she asked.

Aro answered for all of them, "We do, your Grace."

"Do you feel you are ready?"

"Yes. We thank you for your efforts on our behalf." He hoped he didn't sound as unsure as he was.

Mara gave him one of her rare, small smiles, "Hmm. You're either overconfident or you're lying, Aro," she said, "And you're much too smart to be overconfident."

Aro gave her a small smile in return.

"Walk with me, Aro. The rest of you may prepare for your return home." She nodded, "We will see you when you return."

Mara Sov walked off. Aro shared one last glance with his team before moving to follow.

"Aro?" She called after a long silent walk.

He startled slightly, "Ma'am?"

"There has been one thing that has bothered me ever since you came up with this plan of yours."

He had an idea but he wanted to hear it. "Yes?"

"What makes you so certain your Exo friend will return with you?"

There it is. "Well, assuming he hasn't been returned to his original form-"

"Does that truly matter?" Her tone was simply inquisitory, no matter how accusing it seemed. "From what I remember, this Wrath(A) has taken over Asura's body from him. Are you hoping this has changed?"

"No b-"

"Are you planning to drag him back in chains?"

"No! Not at all!"

She stopped to look at him, "Then what is your plan, Aro?"

"I…" Aro sighed and ran a hand over his head, "Wrath(A)'s biggest concern is his own survival. If I can convince him that we're the right side to throw his lot in with, then-"

"He'll cede control of a body that used to be his own to some stranger?"

"I…" Aro blinked and looked down, "I doubt it."

"Maybe you should consider the chains then."

Aro remained silent, eyes to the ground.

Mara's face and voice softened, "I didn't put you through all of this preparation solely because you asked or because you care so much," she said, "I did it because he's more of a threat to us while he is with the Heralds than when he is not. You understand?"

"I get it," Aro said meekly, like a child being scolded, "I do."

"Do what you must, Arochukwu. Save your friend if you can. But if it comes down to it, if you are unable to change Wrath(A)'s mind or put Asura back in control, then I trust you'll know what to do. And that you'll do it."

Aro let out a shaky breath, "I understand."

She started to walk off, down the hall when she stopped and turned, "He may not consider himself so," she started, "But my brother will be there with you. I hope you'll take care of him."

"I will." He nodded, "If I may ask, will you talk to him before we leave?"

"That would be up to him, Aro." She continued walking, "I won't force him to talk to me."

She walked off without another word. Once she was safely out of sight and hopefully earshot, Kain appeared, "What a scary lady."

Aro sighed and started slowly walking. His Ghost followed him, "Doesn't mean she wasn't right."

This was the part he had been avoiding thinking about ever since he came up with this half assed plan. It was an idiotic oversight on his part. This wasn't the type of issue that would simply solve itself. Not with the stakes so high. But all Aro could see in his mind was him and his team going into the Vault of Glass and returning home with Asura. The details should've mattered but they didn't.

"While the Queen was um…chewing you out, I received a transmission. From Diana."

"Play it back. Privately."

" _Aro,"_ her voice rang out in his head, " _I suspect it's almost time. Time for you to do the highly unlikely._ " She sighed, " _Wish I could be of more assistance than this but I can't. But I can offer you this; I've had scouts keeping track of the Heralds' movements. It's smattering; sporadic. Whether or not they are on to you is unclear still._ "

" _There is something of note, however,"_ she continued, " _Reports of a figure. Humanoid, hooded and cloaked in all black. They have appeared with a few of the Heralds a few times. We have reason to believe that this may be the entity known as Pride."_

There was a long pause after before she ended with, " _Go careful, Aro."_

The playback cut. Aro took in several breaths, belatedly realizing he was shaking.

Kain's eye peered at him, "Aro?"

He exhaled a shaky breath, "Let's get going."

* * *

"You don't have to pack everything," Sol said, "Only-"

"Only the essentials, I heard you the first time." Crona threw a shirt into her bag, "Can we talk about something else?"

"We can talk about how terrified you are to see your father again, given our current plan."

Her shoulders slumped, "Sol…" she paused before she continued packing, this time with more vigor, "We can't let a thing slip to him. Not even the slightest hint."

"Then why are you planning to stay at home?"

She shoved the case closed hard. "You know why," she muttered, "I'm…if this doesn't work out. If we fail, at least I had some time with them."

"It's a good thought."

"Doesn't make it any easier."

The soft rap of knuckles sounded out from the door. Crona only had a second to wonder who it was before he spoke. "Crona. Can we talk?"

She stared at the door before she walked over to open it. "What do you want Corin?"

He stepped closer, "This plan of yours-"

"How do you know what we're planning?"

"People talk, Crona."

She glowered, "Tell people to mind their own business."

"Why are you doing this, Crona?" He asked loudly, "For what possible reason?"

"Because of you." She turned and went back to packing. He followed her inside and shut the door. "Because of me? What do you mean 'because of me'?"

She turned on him, "My friend left because of the crap you said to him! Now he's in trouble and I need to go get him back."

He shook his head and laughed in disbelief, "You're really going to do this over that? Over some malfunctioning machine who doesn't even know who the hell he is?!"

Crona froze. She had to remember that he knew nothing about the Heralds. Who Asura really was.

It didn't lessen the impact of his words. They stung her as if she had been struck. "This conversation is over, Corin. All of this is over," she said, "You need to leave."

"Crona-"

She turned on him. " _Leave._ "

His eyes widened at her tone. Then without a word, he opened the door and left.

Crona sighed, dropping down to her bed. She thought of Josef, how excited he was to see the place where his mother came from. She had to admit, she had always wanted to see where her own parents grew up. Where they met.

But now? Now this place left nothing but a bad taste in her mouth. It'd be a shame to tell him that the Reef was little different from the City. Ignorance and disdain for things they did not understand and to be quite honest, she was glad to be done with the Reef. Too many bad memories. Memories that hurt.

" _Crona?"_ Aro called through her Ghost, " _We're preparing to head out."_

She sighed, shook off the thoughts of what could have been, zipped up the bag and started for the exit, "I'm on my way."

* * *

" _They aren't coming, you know."_

No response. Just as it had been for a while now. Asura had gone from yelling and raving to flat out refusing to speak.

Wrath(A) hadn't bothered keeping track of the Earth time. All he knew was that Wrath(K)'s numerous attempts at transforming Wrath(A) had all failed.

Now he was resting. Not before he collapsed in exhaustion but before he hurt someone in his calmness.

" _Look at this place_ ," Wrath(A) continued, " _It's a death trap. They'd be ripped apart. And they know it."_

" _You're right._ "

A strange feeling welled in his chest. He didn't know what he expected to feel when Asura finally gave in to his fate but it definitely wasn't this.

" _You're right_ ," he repeated, " _This place is a death trap. Only a fool would consider coming in here for any reason, least of all for the life of one Exo._ "

Wrath(A) could almost see the smile on his voice, " _Good thing my team is a bunch of fools. And I'm more than just a machine to them._ " Assure chuckled to himself, the soft sound loud in their head, " _It's funny, honestly."_

" _What is?"_

" _How they see me, and you, as more of a person than you do,_ " Asura said, " _They'll come and they'll stop this._ "

Outwardly, Wrath(A)'s hand tightened into a fist, " _Awful amount of trust to put in people. Quit the act. You're afraid and you know it."_

" _My amount of trust is nothing they have not earned,_ " Asura explained calmly, " _And careful. You might be confusing me for yourself."_

" _They won't come,"_ Wrath(A) said again, much weaker and with much less conviction.

" _They will. I know it."_


	43. While Time Remains Part I

_While Time Remains Part I_

* * *

The trip back to Earth was silent, apprehensive and felt longer than it had going.

Aro found he could do little to change the mood. Reading or studying did nothing to distract his mind, pacing back and forth across the ship and sitting in his chair , anxiously bouncing his leg, much to Kain's understanding and annoyance. He could guess that the others were trying and failing as badly as he was.

It was finally arriving at the Tower that lightened the mood, if only slightly and temporarily. The rest of the clan were there to meet them, a multitude of faces lighting up as their ships pulled into the hangar. Erek and Kayla, first to touch ground, found themselves both lifted off the ground and wrapped up in a bone and metal crushing hug from Shino and were now struggling to escape his grip, vigor intensified when he threatened to start kissing them.

Daniel found himself wrapped up in the vice grip Shino called a hug as soon as Kayla and Erek had managed to escape. Crona was set on by Josef, desperate for details about the Reef and Aveline, who cooly pretended that she wasn't the same.

It had been sometime since Asura's flight but it was just now, watching the laughter, the celebration, Aro started to feel the loneliness set in. Of course they were all his friends, Crona especially, and he loved Daniel but both had families; other people in the world close to them. In addition to the fact that they all knew each other before he or Asura had shown up three years ago.

But Asura? Asura had no other connections or long standing ties to the world he found himself in. Just a dark history he didn't understand and was not sure he wanted to. Just like him.

They had each other at least. And now neither had even that. More of a reason to bring him home and more of a reason to feel guilty dragging more people into this than needed.

Aro took the time to talk to the engineers, ensuring their ships would be checked up and worked on before the week was over, keeping away from the others until he could tell they were finished, though it hurt to. Why he didn't just join them, he couldn't begin to know. It just felt like he would be intruding if he did.

He brought all of this on them after all.

"Aro?" Kain called out loud.

"Mm?"

"Incoming."

He had no time to react to the vague warning before he found himself lifted into the air and spun around, thick blue arms deliberately squeezing the air from his lungs.

"Son of a-Shino, put me down!"

"Nah."

"Shino!"

"Nah!" The Titan was already walking him back to the others. Only when they reached the group did Shino finally listen to Aro's commands and drop him on his ass.

They took their time to laugh at him before Katrina pulled him up and dust him off, "Graceful as alway."

"I was assaulted," Aro grumbled.

"Mhmm."

"I should press charges."

"That's nice, dear."

Shino wrapped an arm around his shoulder and yanked him close. "I'd plead guilty if you asked nicely."

"Of course you would."

"Aro." Aashir's voice rang out from the clamor. The Exo remained at the back of the crowd, jerking his head in a direction away from the others. Shino, Katrina and everyone else had gone quiet and the tension was palpable. Aro walked in the direction of Aashir's indication. The Exo nodded to the rest of their group before following.

"Aro, when is your meeting with the Vanguard?" he questioned, blue eyes staring elsewhere.

"In...a few minutes."

Aashir gave a curt nod. "Alright."

"Is something the matter?" asked Aro. Aro had never seen Aashir nervous before. Now the feeling was radiating off of him in waves. Aro's gut churned

"You know that I know right?" He said, "About this whole thing?"

Aro blinked and swallowed, "I…I wasn't aware you were told." he said, "How long?"

"Some time," Aashir admitted. He sighed and then gazed into Aro's eyes, "When you go in there, remain absolutely calm. Keep your head clear and do your best to brush off any topic about Asura that relates to your…impending trip."

"...You're helping us."

Aashir held his gaze a little while longer before looking away, "He's one of us, right? That's what you always say. So yes, I am keeping my mouth shut in the hopes that this amounts to something."

"We might not have control over that."

The Exo looked him over, "When you go in, everyone will be there. The Vanguard, the Speaker and even Shaxx. They will be looking for any hint that you plan to disobey their orders," he told him, "Do _not_ give them one."

He nodded, "I understand."

Aashir gave his own curt nod in return, "Good luck…and welcome back."

Aro turned to the others, to signal them it was time to depart. The looks on their faces matched how Aro was feeling. The others must have given them the same speech. Aashir must've just wanted to talk to him personally.

Whether or not that was a cause of concern or relief was anyone's guess.

* * *

The Commander had his head in a stack of reports. It was his Ghost, Zea, that noticed them first. Both looked up very soon after and regarded each of them for a few seconds.

Ikora had her hands behind her back, eyes tracing over the tiny writing in an old book. Unlike the others, she did not bother to look up when they entered the room. Aro could almost believe she hadn't noticed them until her voice rang out over the sounds of the other workers, ordering them to clear the room. The Tower workers hurried to obey.

" _If only_ ," Kain murmured to him, matching Aro's thoughts. Despite the situation, Aro allowed himself a small smile. That smile fell away as he heard steps come up from behind their group, loud, heavy and unmistakable.

Shaxx walked around them to the side, stopping and leaning on the railing behind Ikora. His eyes were emotionless; his face a mask, just like the others.

Zavala's eyes moved over all of them, "There's no point in waiting, so we'll get right to it. Tell us what happened exactly as it happened and leave _nothing_ out."

"As...we discussed before, the Sword of Crota somehow allowed Wrath(A) to retake command of his body from Asura," Aro told them, struggling to keep his composure under their hard gaze. Aro focused on the surrounding sights and sounds. Anything to keep his mind away from Asura or the Vex or the Vault.

"And after Wrath(A) revealed himself to you on Venus,' Cayde said, his voice deceptively light and cheery, "He ran off with the Wrath formerly known as Kabr. But not before putting a bullet through Aro's skull."

"Cayde," Ikora said in a curt, disapproving tone, "Tact." She turned back to them, the amount of times she had blinked still zero at Aro's count, "You remember what we said, correct? About going after him?"

"Don't," Daniel almost spat out.

Ikora's golden eyes ran over his face, "Correct."

"You know why, don't you?" The Commander asked. Somehow his eyes managed to hold the most sympathy. Aro found it strange, seeing as Asura's condemnation was on his orders, "Not only did we lose one of our best Guardians-"

"And later another." Cayde interjected.

"But in doing so, a monster was created. A monster that has at least some measure of influence over the Vault of Glass."

"Yeah, not to mention the fact that we've pissed off Pride a grand total of how many times now?" Cayde asked, "It's only a matter of time before he starts making his own appearances. Getting near the Vault, Aro, putting yourself in danger is walking right into his hands."

"We cannot allow it," Zavala finished.

"We...we understand." Things Aro had already considered and accepted. Not even Pride was going to get in his way. Whoever he was.

"May I ask something?" Crona spoke up for the first time. Zavala blinked at the softness of her voice and the hard crease in his forehead disappeared, "Yes, Crona. What is it?"

"Master Osiris," she started and Aro could already tell she was walking into dangerous territory, "Why did he only send the two?"

Zavala looked to Ikora, as if waiting for her to answer. She did. "You could ask him yourself and I doubt you'd get an answer," she said. "He could think of no adequate reason after the fact. It was always like…" she seemed to become lost in her own memories, "Something was missing. And he couldn't begin to understand what. But it was his downfall. Complaint after complaint, scandal after scandal and suddenly members of the Consensus were demanding he leave the City." She looked back at them, eyes harder than before, "I will not make the same mistake."

"No. We won't," Zavala agreed. He sighed, "Onwards. Daniel, we received the information your Ghost pulled from the Archives."

Aro cursed inwardly, " _Kain, the info concerning the Vault…_ "

" _All removed. Only Kayla and the other Ghosts know anything to do with it_."

"Daniel," Cayde called, voice suddenly somber, "What...what else did you find in there?"

Daniel was silent for a while, his hand opening and closing, "I...found my father." Silence pierced the room, "His body."

"We remember Greed…or Vell, I should say, being vague when he returned," Zavala continued, "Adrian's body. Was there any sign of murder?"

"No sir. None at all."

"He could've just abandoned his brother," Ikora suggested. Cayde shook his head, "No. He's not that type of guy."

"Was Toland?" She asked him, "Was Andal?"

"In any case, it's done and I doubt we'll ever know the truth unless Greed decides to tell us himself," Zavala said, "You're all dismissed. Thank you."

"Ikora. Anything?" He asked the Warlock once they had all very quickly left.

"Nothing I could see or sense. It's hard to keep track of five at once."

He turned to Cayde, who shook his head no and to Shaxx, who just shrugged.

"To not go after him. It's unlike them." Zavala shook his head.

"We'll keep watch for now," Ikora said, "The Speaker has yet to talk to them. If they've anything to hide, he'll uncover it." Zavala watched as she turned back to her studies and could do nothing but hope that she is right. For all their sakes.

* * *

"Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick." Erek was kneeling on the ground, head in trash can. They had all retreated to Aro's quarters and no one had dared relax until the door was locked and the room even scanned for surveillance.

Only then did Erek fall over, the nervousness doing a number on his stomach's composure.

"We were told the Speaker would be there," Kayla murmured from her spot in Aro's living room.

"So was I."

Erek groaned, "Thank the fucking Traveler." He picked himself up out of Aro's garbage and dropped to the ground.

"Daniel?" Aro murmured to the man next to him, who seemed completely lost in thought. "Daniel," he tried again, a hand moving to his leg. The man jumped at the movement and instinctively covered Aro's hand with his own, "Yes? What is it?"

"Something on your mind?" Erek called from the ground.

"Oh, its just...my dad. The Vanguard didn't really know what he went in there to do." He rubbed the back of his neck, "They didn't know how he died. Or why."

"And they can't know," Crona said, "We'd be giving away too much if we told them."

"I know, I know. It's just that…" he laughed mirthlessly, "This whole time, I thought they never told us because...I don't know, they were protecting him or something. Now I know I wasn't the only one scrabbling for answers."

"It's comforting in a way," Kayla said, a smile in her voice, "To know that we're not the only ones lost and confused in this whole mess."

"Comforting. And terrifying," he added, "In any case, we should get going." Daniel stood up, as did Kayla and Erek after a few seconds of muttered complaints.

Aro watched them, "You're all staying together?"

"Yeah, we talked about it before leaving the Reef," he answered, rolling his shoulders, before offering a hand to Aro, "Where are you staying, Aro?"

"I…" He hesitated. He knew the answer. It just hurt to be reminded of what it meant.

A large hand clapped down on his head, "He'll be staying with me, of course" Crona said.

Words caught in his throat, "I...if you're sure."

"You shouldn't stay here alone," she explained, uncharacteristic softness in her gaze. It disappeared as quickly as it came, "Plus, I'm not staying alone with my father."

Aro let out a small laugh and stood, "Fair enough, I guess."

She gestured in the direction of his bedroom, "Grab your crap. I'll be downstairs." She walked past him and left the room right behind Kayla and Erek.

Daniel pulled him in for a small kiss before slowly letting go of his hand and leaving after the others. Left alone, he wandered into his room. Kain appeared from behind him and flew further into the room. "I think it'll be nice," he said, turning his one eye back to Aro, "Never really been to a sleepover before."

Aro smiled, searching through his things, "I wouldn't get too excited. This is Crona we're talking about." He shrugged, "Beats staying in here alone though. We'll see."

* * *

"So is this how you treat all your guests am I special?" asked Aro, rolling over to face Crona's bed from his spot on the floor.

She was staring at the ceiling, one leg over the other and hands clasped behind her head. "We have guest rooms you know," she said, "But then you wouldn't have anyone who's trying to sleep to bother."

He smiled at the jab. She wasn't wrong. "You didn't answer my question, Crona."

"It's how I treat all my guests," Crona answered, "It's a power thing. Gets me off."

He rolled over to his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows, "And what about the men who come to… _get you off_. Do they receive this shit treatment too?"

"The day I meet a man brave enough to visit me in my house for _that_ is the day hell freezes over."

"Why? Your dad?"

"Worse. My mom. My dad learned the hard way to mind his own."

Aro's head poked up, "He walked in on you?"

She smiled brightly, "He walked in on Z and a…lady friend." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Holy shit."

"I have never seen him turn that shade of purple before or after," she said, laughing too, "They couldn't look each other in the eye for a week!"

The talking continued for a long while. Neither could sleep and they knew why.

"Since neither of us are actually tired, what else do you want to talk about?" Aro asked her, "Paint each other's toenails. Talk about boys…"

She rolled over, mock serious "Alright, one, I refuse to touch your gross feet."

"Harsh."

"And two? You only ever want to talk about one boy!"

"Hey, he's fun to talk about," said Aro, "His shoulders…"

"No!" She covered her ears.

Aro just moved closer, "His arms, his back-"

"His backside," Kain suddenly interjected. Crona glared shining blue daggers in their direction, "What? He spends a lot of time staring at it. Isn't that what we're doing?"

"That's exactly what we're doing!"

Crona put her pillow over her head, "I don't want to hear about Daniel's… _body_. Or what he does with it!"

"So you don't want to hear about how well he… _gives_ it?"

" _No._ "

Aro nodded and laid back down, "That's fair," he said, letting silence take over for a few seconds, "How about how well he _takes_ it?"

"Somebody kill me," she groaned. Then she yawned and buried her head into the pillow.

"Hey, you falling asleep?"

He heard her sigh, "Seems like," was her drowsy answer. "Hey, Aro?"

"Yeah?"

"We should do this again," she said, "When we get Asura back."

His chest tightened, "Yeah, Crona. We should. We will."

She yawned again, "Good night, Aro."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Good night," he managed, barely hearing himself.


	44. While Time Remains Part II

_Apologies for the lateness. Some asshole named Harvey turned my city into a lake and every major road into its personal tributary and I've been working on moving into a new apartment. So here's my junk._

* * *

 _While Time Remains Part II_

* * *

"It was purple. Everything was so purple!"

Here Crona was, lying across her family couch with her feet in Z's lap, occasionally rising to intentionally kick him in the face. It wasn't the first time someone had mentioned her increased propensity to physical contact, some actively believing being on the Reef had changed her.

In reality, she was trying to get everything down. Their presence. The feel of them all. Leave them something to remember. In case she didn't come back.

There was little mention of Asura except for some awkwardly given words of comfort. Her father said little on the matter and conversations with him were short and incredibly awkward.

Aro had stayed only for breakfast and left for the Tower, separate from her father. As with Crona, conversations were cordial and short, Aro only showing the manners befitting that of a guest.

"You knew what to expect." Z had long stopped trying to push her legs off, instead resting his bony arms on her legs. Akira sat in the chair next to them while Trey kept to his father's old bedroom, turned into a play area just for him.

Crona hated how normal this seemed. How normal she sounded. She knew that they knew it was an act. She could see it in the sympathetic looks they constantly shot at her when she wasn't looking but her Ghost was. The reason they believed, she figured, differed.

Lying to her parents; not as common as others but still happened. Never over anything this severe. Lying to her brother was unheard of.

When she got herself into any kind of situation, any kind of trouble, Z was always there for her to talk to. Now she doesn't even have that.

Should the worst happen, Crona only hoped he could forgive her.

She snapped out of her thoughts to see that they were giving her that look again. She fought off a sigh, "Sorry, I was thinking."

Akira's concerned frown deepened, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Crona shook her head, not trusting her voice.

"So Erek," Z started loudly in a clear attempt to steer the conversation, "What did you find out?"

She hesitated, feeling that it wasn't exactly right for her to reveal details of a past he had worked to keep hidden for so long. Instead she said, "We met his family. And the situation was…pretty bad. He's still very angry with them."

"Did they talk?" asked Akira.

"Alone maybe once. Then everything started going to shit and-"

"And he's using the situation as an excuse to not talk to them."

"Actually-" Crona stopped dead in her tracks, taking the thought down a different path before she said something she regretted, "That's actually right," she said instead, feeling the prick of guilt from lying and promptly pushing it away.

"What about my brother?" Akira suddenly asked, "He had a role in this, I know but I was never given details."

"Sloth, he…he met us there," she started, wondering if talking about this was smart, "He goaded is into a fight by telling us he was going to take the sword for Pride."

Akira let out a noncommittal hum, giving Crona no indication to how she was feeling. It wasn't the outright hysteria from when she first found out but it still made Crona's gut twist. "He apologized!" She blurted out suddenly, "To me. For what he had to do."

She was mostly telling the truth. She left out the thing he apologized for under his breath was for having to kill her. The sad, distant look in Akira's eyes didn't change and Crona silently berated herself. She couldn't have one conversation with the people in the world she was closest to without the Heralds being brought up or her lying to keep them calm.

Z's hand covered Akira's gently; her tightly wound shoulders relaxing slightly. Ever the hero, he once again attempted to turn the conversation in a different direction, "What are the people like, Crona?" He asked, mostly fake enthusiasm to brighten the mood.

"Hmm?"

"The Reefborn. What are they like?"

She didn't get much interaction with most of them, aside from one. Everything she knew came from watching. "They're…a lot like us," she said, "I mean, aside from some cultural things, of course. They don't take too well to strangers, regardless if you were Awoken or not."

Akira was smiling again, "But other than that, just like us."

She smiled back, "They get drunk, just like us and when they do, they sing terribly and act like idiots. Just like us."

"Not as uptight up close, huh." Akira leaned closer, "Tell me about the men."

Crona leaned forward with an amused look on her face and Z groaned loudly. Akira swatted his arm and shushed him. "The men…" she shook her palm, "They're alright. Bit on the skinny side."

Akira hummed, "But you like 'em big." She grinned widely when Crona turned purple, "Those huge, old timey lumberjack types."

"Stop!"

"Please," Z groaned again, sinking deeper into his chair.

Akira had no plans to, "Sol, you around?" She called. When the Ghost appeared, she said, "Play that song we heard a while back. By the Weather Girls."

"'It's Raining Men'?" The Ghost chirped.

"That one!"

Z shot up, "Absolutely not! I just got that song out of my head!" Akira simply cackled again.

Crona watched them, laughing, joking, getting on each other's nerves. The last time they had done anything like this without things ending on a tense, apprehensive note was her twenty first birthday. The next day her Ghost found her. The day after she was at the Tower and the day after, she met Aro and Asura; watching them argue over who would be their third teammate and wondering if they knew how loud they were being.

Then Aro's dreams came. Then Asura's …lesser half. The Heralds. All taking away the relative peace she had known all her life.

As if it wasn't enough, Wrath(A) took the little she had left with him.

If she could separate Wrath(A) from Asura, there was no doubt in her mind she would kill him. Kill him for all he made Asura suffer. Made her and Aro and the rest of them suffer.

But she couldn't. And if she doesn't do this, if she was to call Aro and back out right now like she has full sanction from him to do, then he would return to attack the City; her family. And she would have to kill him anyway.

She was risking her life going into the Vault to save Asura as well as to protect everyone she cared about. That's what she would tell herself from now on. It helped ease the guilt, if only slightly.

Crona shot up while her brother was distracted and grabbed the remote from his hand, changing it to a channel she liked and she knew he hated, earning the loudly annoyed reaction she had been hoping for.

She was going to enjoy the small amounts of time she could still find, in the remains of what used to be. Something to hold close and remember for when the world took everything else.

* * *

"Erek? Erek!" Something hard jabbed into his leg.

He cursed and jumped up, almost falling off the set of crates he had draped himself across. An angry Amanda was towering over him. Right behind her, a nervous looking frame.

Erek gave a disarming smile, "Amanda, my friend-"

"Don't you 'my friend' me," she cut off, though her eyes softened, "You're getting in the way of my people, Erek. We've got work to do!"

"Alright, alright! Jeez," he sluggishly rolled off the crates and the frame immediately moved in to begin taking them away.

"What's the matter with you, Erek?" She asked, "Did you not sleep at Daniel's house or somethin?"

Erek shook his head, walking to and leaning on the railing overlooking the main floor of the Hangar. "Asura and some…family crap at the Reef," he said.

"Right, you mentioned some family before you left, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Did you meet them?"

Erek scowled at the ground, "Yeah." He let out a loud breath, "Yeah, I met them."

Amanda looked him up and down. She was doing that thing again. Where she read people like a god forsaken book. She crossed her arms, "You met them?"

"As I said before, 'yeah'."

"But did you talk to them?"

"There was little to talk about," he spat.

"Oh, sweetie. I doubt that." A frame handed her a pad, requesting her signature, giving Erek two seconds of relief from her burning stare. When she turned back to him, the excuses were already spilling from his lips, "Look, Amanda."

She raised an eyebrow.

"It's…" he started, every thing he had come up with already leaving him, "It's very…"

Eren popped in between them, "He's still pissed about what happened but he feels guilty about not trying to talk to them."

"Eren!" He grabbed at the Ghost, only for it to vanish again.

"Yeah, that's what I guessed." Amanda sighed, grabbed his arm and dragged him away to the side, "Erek?" He refused to look at her. "Erek."

He finally looked down. Her eyes were more sympathetic than before but still. "I know it's been a difficult week but not all of us are on vacation right now," she said, typing on yet another tablet she had pulled out of nowhere, "Go to the shooting range or the sparring ring. Or better yet get out of the Tower. Keep yourself occupied."

He growled deep in his throat, "I'm going to get a drink."

Amanda shook her head, "Mmh, no you're not." She waved the tablet, "I've just asked them to ban you until dark and then limit your drink total after."

"I-what?!" You can't do that!"

"Just did, darlin." The Shipwright shrugged, "Rather not have to deal with a drunk you appearing in front of my door, crying to be held."

"It…" his face turned purple and he lowered his voice, "It was one time."

"Yeah and the next time, I'll send you to Shino. You'll never live it down. Now, go on. Get." She shoved him away.

"I'm getting! Jeez."

"Odd place to spend a vacation, isn't it?" Mira's voice came from behind him. He had gone to the sparring rings, like Amanda suggested and while it had served as an adequate distraction, it didn't last. The brooding was already taking over again.

"I live here, remember?" He said, throwing his bag over his shoulder and turning to face her. She was retrying her hair and staring up at him. Behind her, he saw Shino take a vicious jab to the stomach from May and double over. Shino was far from fragile and Erek remembered being on the receiving end of that hit. Growing a tooth back was irritating. Two was hell.

"In the sparring area? That's my thing!" She elbowed him in the rib and he managed a smile, "We were actually hoping to see you."

"You were?"

"Sure. Why not? Jessie's around here looking for Kayla too."

"Is something up?" he asked, "I mean besides this…" he waved his hand in the air and lowered his voice, "Whole thing."

"It actually has to do with this…" she copied his movements, "Whole thing. But first, Amanda called me."

"And we're done here." Erek turned on his heels, only to be grabbed back. May and Shino were watching them from the ring, leaning on the ropes.

"Why didn't you try to talk to them, Erek?" She asked, grip on his arm loosening slightly, "I know you. If you don't and the worst should happen, you'll regret it."

Erek glared past her head, pulling on his arm absentmindedly in the hopes of escaping the conversation. Never such luck.

Mira's eyes held that same stern but sympathetic look Holliday's did. "Erek, answer me."

"Won't I be too dead to regret it?" He snapped, finally yanking his arm out of her hand. He regretted raising his voice as several pairs of eyes started to turn their way.

"Regrets haunt you even in death, Erek," she said, lowering her voice, "It was Greed who told me that."

"Do you really think he's the best person to quote when it comes to family?"

"After what you found in the Archives, I absolutely do."

"Listen Mira," he started but she sharply cut him off with a raised palm. He let out an irritated growl but stayed in place and kept quiet

"Tell me you hate them Erek," she said softly, her eyes were burning holes into his head, "Tell me you hate them, that there's no chance of forgiving them; that you want nothing to do with them and I'll never bring it up again."

Erek could feel his throat close up. He simply looked away, guilt stinging like a bullet. From behind her, May and Shino had gathered their things and were getting closer. The last thing he needed was to be crowded. Not when he really wanted to be alone right now.

"I'm not saying let everything go," she murmured, "What they did, you have every right to be hurt. But _say something_. Alright?"

Again, he remained silent.

"Check your Vault when you have the time," Mira said, starting to walk past him, "I left something for you. We'll see you later."

He watched her go. May passed by with a gentle hand on his arm and Shino patted him on the back, distinctly softer than it usually was.

She was right. Amanda was right. Everyone was right; was he really so transparent? He was angry. Seeing them brought back memories of what he and Eren went through. How it all led to her…

"Check my Vault," he told his Ghost, "What's in it?"

Eren's eye slightly shifted from left to right as she ran through his inventory. Then the eye shot up, "She left _Truth_!"

"Voice down!" Erek whispers furiously. Then he asked, "Really?"

"Yes."

"Big blue Rocket Launcher? Payload could follow someone around in circles? That _Truth_?"

"I always thought it was more of a purple."

Erek let out a surprised breath, "That's…really good of them to do that."

"They said they'd help us in anyway they can," Eren reminded him, "Including giving advice. Advice I think you should heed."

Erek's eyes dropped to the ground.

"Ban on the bar's been lifted, if you still want that-"

Erek was already gone. The Ghost hurried to catch up.

"Erek, I've been tasked with reminding you that you are nearing the drink limit Holliday has set for you," the frame working the bar chirped.

Erek had his head laid sideways on the bar, "I thought she was kidding," he groaned.

"No, Guardian. In fact, she was quite insistent."

"Did you tell her that I'm a grown man and that I can do what I want?"

"Yes, Guardian. I also told her that you'd technically survive alcohol poisoning but she was adamant."

He'll end up thanking Holliday later when he woke up in the morning with just depression instead of an accompanying hangover.

Now he was considering jumping the bar.

"You don't think you spend too much time here?" A deep voice murmured suddenly from behind. Shin Malphur dropped down in the stool next to him. Erek's heart jumped into his throat.

"So what are you trying to drink away?" Shin asked after ordering his own drink, not looking at Erek.

"I could ask you the same," he retorted, sounding bounds more confident than he felt.

But Shin gave a wry smiled, "Family troubles then? Cayde told me everything."

"Of course he did."

"You didn't talk to them," he said, lifting the glass to eye level before knocking it back, "I think You should." His tone suddenly low and somber, "No of people I wish I could talk to one more time."

"I'm sorry," Erek said, trying to keep the conversation off himself.

"Don't be," Shin stood off his chair, "Don't be. Just…do better than I did."

Completely lost on Shin's meaning, Erek offered an easy, "Alright then."

"Good luck out there, by the way."

The glass almost slipped from Erek's hand. "Good luck?" He managed to bite out.

"With your family," Shin clarified, showing no sign he had noticed Erek's reaction.

"Right. Thanks. I'll…think on what you've said." He turned back to the bar, listening to Shin's receding footsteps, "What everyone is saying."

"Come again, Erek?" The frame blinked at him.

"I said let me get another drink."

A glass of water was dropped in front of him; his limit reached. He growled daggers at the cup before downing the contents anyway

* * *

"There you are," Jessie's voice suddenly broke into her concentration, "Haven't see you all day."

Ideally, Kayla had hoped to be alone with everything running around in her head at the moment but she didn't turn down the company. The taller Exo came and leaned onto the railing next to her. Both watched the City below.

"Have you been keeping up with what's going on lately?" Jessie asked in a soft voice. She was referring to the varied assaults in Exos by the more organic citizens of the City.

"Yes. Since coming back." It always seemed to go the same way. The assault happened, an excuse was made, the perpetrator was punished well below a level deserved, if at all. Then there was talk of civil reform in the Consensus by a bright few only for their pleas to fall on deaf ears. All ending in silence until the next attack.

Rinse and repeat.

"Probably shouldn't bring it up anyway," Jessie said after a while, "I'm sure you have a lot on your mind."

Kayla gave a small laugh, "You have no idea." She raised her hand, closed it and opened it again, hearing the tiny whirring sound that accompanied her movements, "Even now, I don't know how it was possible to… _tune_ something as massive as the Archives into the mind of one Exo but…"

But it had been done. Kayla felt she could spend decades within her own head and still barely scratch the surface of the wealth of information that was suddenly jammed into her head all at once. She had found parts of her own mind seemingly locked off, inaccessible to both her and her Ghost. But just from what she could glean, it was a good thing that the Archives were locked off from everyone.

What could a Vex mind do with this information? What could a Herald?

The only thing front and center in her head was the Vault. How to get inside and how to get through. How a map of the Vault of Glass had been created and transmitted by an AI that had never been inside the Vault, directly or indirectly, remained to be seen. But Kayla could figure that out later.

"You have no idea," Kayla said again, "But at the same time, it shouldn't be an excuse." She straightened up, hands grasping the rails, "Before the Archives, it was difficult to keep up with goings on of the City. Up here feels so separate from the world. Easy to forget that we should still be apart of it."

"And the Reef?" Jessie put forward, "Is it the same?"

"No…it actually isn't," she realized. "Before we left, being confronted by those Humans was the first time in a while anyone has really gotten in my face with their problem with me. But at the Reef? It was a constant thumb on the back of your neck. You know you're being watched; being judged. We all were but Aro, Daniel and Crona? They never had their personhood questioned. Not like me and Asura." She turned her head down, "And Wrath(A) has been dealing with it for much longer. Traveler, no wonder he snapped."

"No one gives a damn about me so I'm not going to give a damn about anyone else," the taller Exo intoned, almost like she was in his head.

"Doesn't make his actions or behavior right but like Cayde said, I understand now why he's angry. We can't wait for things to just change. They never work like that."

"Us Guardians have more sway in this City than we realize. If…when you get to him," Jessie insisted, "Make sure you tell him that." Metal rang on metal as Jessie patted her shoulder, "Me and the others, all of us, decided we'd put something together for you guys. Check your Vault when you have the time." Jessie shoved her hands in her pockets and started to leave.

"I will…and Jessie?"

She stopped, "Yeah?"

"Thanks for stopping by."

"Anytime." A bright smile in her voice.

* * *

A nice sit down restaurant. That was Daniel's idea. Just the two of them. Something normal and quiet; with marginally less bullets than usual.

Aro just had to find a suit. He owed Eva Levante lunch. Preferably before they had to leave.

They talked normally for the first time in a long time. What the Warlocks were studying. Tarlowe's still secret project. The various accidents Maya had caused while they were gone. Certain topics were avoided, of course, but not with the usual awkwardness and discomfort that came when brought up with most others.

They had left the restaurant and were now just walking along the brightly lit but quiet street, hand in hand.

"I had fun," said Aro, breaking the comfortable silence.

"I figured you would," Daniel said confidently but with a bright smile on his face. But he sobered up quickly, " Aro, how long has it been since we did something like this?"

"I…" he thought back. And back and back. "At least a year…shit."

"Right?" Daniel let out a small laugh, "It's a shame, isn't it? That we can't do anything like this. It'd be better if it was just us being neglectful, right? Then we could fix it. Star crossed lovers and all that."

Aro frowned, "Star crossed lovers?"

Daniel stopped, making Aro stop too. "Star crossed lovers?" He asked, "Right people, wrong time? Romeo and Juliet?"

"Never heard of it." They started walking again.

"Right, I forgot you're only three years old." Daniel stared at the ground for a few seconds before saying, "Can I tell you something, Aro?"

"Anything," he breathed.

"Sometimes, whenever someone talks about…"he waved his free hand through the cool air, "All of this, you get this look on your face. Like no matter the situation and who's directly responsible, you still blame yourself," he said.

He stopped and pulled on Aro's arm, making Aro face him. "I've never had anything like this before, Aro. Not with anyone, not even close." His dark brown eyes raked over Aro's face, "And despite the circumstances; despite the causes, I love you. And I'm glad to have met you."

Aro felt surprise, wrapped up in both grief and guilt. No matter what he tried to believe; no matter what they told him, everything that had happened remained on his head.

There were days when he wanted to be told as much. That he was a monster. That both his birth and rebirth were a mistake or if not a mistake, then never should have happened anyway.

That he didn't deserve to feel happiness or friendship or love from a man whose very family had been torn apart by what he had caused.

Daniel suddenly let go of his hand, snapping Aro out of his thoughts. The big man had balled his fist into the palm of his other hand and was fidgeting nervously.

"I...I apologize," Daniel stammered out, "Damn it, I shouldn't have...I wanted to do this so we could...so I could...I just had to tell you." Daniel grunted in surprise when Aro suddenly grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. When they finally broke apart, Daniel's eyes fluttered open.

"I love you too," Aro breathed against his lips, "I meant it the first time I said it. And I'll mean it every time after." Aro moved back, "Even if...everything goes wrong."

"We'll get Asura back," Daniel stated, pressing their foreheads together, "I know we will."

"You can't know that."

"Then I believe we will."

Aro scoffed, "You. Crona. I don't think I deserve the faith all of you have in me."

"But...I'll try to earn it." Aro held out his hand. Daniel took it up again and Aro kissed his long fingers.

"We need to do this again," he said, "We _will_ do this again." The more he said it, the better it felt to say.

The easier it became to say. And to believe.

* * *

 _To answer a question asked in a review, I won't be going past The Taken King_

 _And any issue I have with the Destiny 2 beta is being worked on. Other than that, I truly can't wait_


	45. While Time Remains Part III

_While Time Remains Part III_

* * *

"You're shaking, Aro."

"Am I?"

"You should stop."

"Yes, thank you, Crona."

The morning had started off so peaceful, waking up with Crona's foot in his face. As it had turned out, peace was both an illusion and a mercy. Kain and Sol both received transmissions from the Speaker the night before. A request for a talk. The Ghosts had chosen to spare them the news in order to let them sleep.

It was the last day, after all.

Aro knew what it was about. He should've expected as much after the Speaker's lack of an appearance when they first returned. And despite Zavala seemingly not knowing, both of them knew he and the entire Vanguard was in on it.

Have them let both their guards down, wait until the final moment when they were the most tense, then drill them for answers.

Aro would admire it if he wasn't the victim.

Crona stood tall and still, a beacon of false tranquility. "Kain, can you slow his heart rate down? I can practically hear it from here."

"Not without killing him."

Aro shrugged, "By all means."

"I'd just revive you."

"Shame."

From their spot just outside his area in the North Tower, they heard footsteps and soft talking. Without warning, the Speaker and Aashir turned the corner, coming upon them.

Dread curled Aro's stomach. Had he…

" _No,"_ Kain quickly assured in his head, " _His Ghost just told us that they want to talk to us after and that we should say nothing_."

That helped. A little.

"Crona. Arochukwu," The Speaker regarded them in that calming, sure tone of his. Aro felt like a child, rendered nervous by the use of his full name, "I'm glad you are here." He turned back to Aashir, "I will think on what we discussed. Thank you, Aashir."

Aashir saluted the Speaker and nodded to the others before walking off. "If you would follow me." He turned and calmly walked up the stairs without waiting for their response.

The Speaker's area was always impressive. A towering bookshelf, low, soft light and in terms of sound, almost completely isolated. There was no chair in front of his desk. He stood throughout his studies. Aro remembered that it was a suggestion from Osiris on account of him walking in on the Speaker asleep one too many times.

Hundreds of years later, he heeded his friend's words. Even after he had to exile him.

Even after he had to let him go. Aro swallowed; uncomfortable and familiar doubt welling up.

"I've heard the story multiple times," he started, staring out at the Traveler, "Your transmission. Zavala's report. Ikora's interpretation. Now?" He turned, his coveted eyes burning into them, "I want to hear it from you. And leave nothing out."

So Aro and Crona told him the story. And they left nothing out, interjecting parts into each other's stories that the other had overlooked. The Speaker listened, nodding and stopping them only to ask the occasional question. About Wrath(K), about Sloth, about Wrath(A)'s behavior before his sudden and violent departure.

The Speaker seemed to contemplate on their words. Then he asked, "How did you know Wrath(A) was taken into the Vault?"

"We figured it out."

"Given their penchant for disappearing from sight on a whim, I have trouble believing that."

Aro's throat dried up. Beside him, Crona shifted in place, nerves finally getting the best of her.

"There's...an Exo," Crona suddenly started. Aro felt the vein in his head pulse.

"On the Reef?"

"She...visits."

"Who is she?" the Speaker demanded, an edge developing in his voice, "No one else was authorized to know about the Heralds."

Aro took over from there, "Her name is Diana. She isn't a Guardian but she's had dealings with Heralds before," he said, "Asura specifically."

"Explain."

"Diana is...from Asura's home planet. One of the few survivors to escape its destruction. We met her sometime two years ago. She had come to kill Asura, thinking he was still Wrath."

"Then why didn't she?"

"We managed to convince her that he wasn't or at least that Wrath(A) was no longer in control," Aro went on, "After we killed Gluttony, she promised to give us any info we needed to defeat the Heralds."

The Speaker turned back to the skyline, hands clasped behind his back, "Why didn't you come to us with this before?"

"We…weren't sure it was the best idea, given what she knows," Aro admitted before becoming sullen, "She might never come back, now that you know."

The Speaker's gloved hands came up and fell on both of their shoulders. Aro had to keep from jumping.

"Aro. Crona," he said, his voice softer and warmer than they had ever heard it before, "Asura means a lot to you. I know this. The Vanguard know this. And it is exceptionally admirable what you are willing to risk in order to save him."

"But…" The hand tightened slightly, "Asura is no longer in control. Wrath(A) would not come quietly; the Heralds would not let him go quietly. Would you really keep him sealed in a prison forever?" He asked, "You want to be brave, Aro and Crona, I get it; you want to be brave for your friend. But…" the Speaker hesitated and his voice became even sadder, "Sometimes…bravery, strength, is learning to let go and doing what needs to be done. For the good of everyone."

 _For the good of everyone_. There were so many things Aro could do _for the good of everyone_. He could hunt down and face Pride. He could leave.

He could kill himself. As tempting as it was to further spiral down _that_ hole, he pushed away the thought away.

He had come to far. They all had. They had the weapons, they received the training, they had found their way in and around the Vault. Now they were just supposed to…give up?

No. He wasn't running from this. He wasn't running from _them_. Not anymore.

"Speaker, can I ask you a question?" He said, "In all honesty?"

The Speaker drew away slightly, "Yes?"

"If you had a chance to let Osiris back here, to the City, would you?"

He could here Crona's breathing freeze up next to him.

The Speaker stared at him, silent for what seemed like forever. "Is there something you are trying to suggest, Aro?" In the seconds before Aro could respond, the Speaker's hands suddenly tightened around each other and his head swung slightly to the side, as if someone had just spoken to him.

Panic panged in his chest. Aro pushed past. "No sir. I'm just trying to get an answer."

" _Aro. Crona would like to know, and I quote, 'What in the ever loving fuck are you doing?'"_

The Speaker's shoulders were heaving, as if he was struggling to breathe. "Aro, listen to me." The warmth and calm in his voice gone, "You are not the first to have to leave a friend behind. You are not the first to lose someone!"

"But it is my fault he's lost!"

"Aro!" The Speaker shot forward, both his hands clasping onto Aro's shoulders. Aro stumbled back, only know realizing he had gone too far; said too much.

It's over. It's over. And it's his fault.

But the old Warlock said nothing. Did nothing. His arms slowly returned to his side. He backed away from the Guardians, turned and walked over to his desk, hands behind his back, air of tranquility and control returned in full. He let out a shaky breath. "Aro. Crona. I thank you for your time. You…" he stopped.

The Speaker suddenly choked out a soft, angry growl. His arms fell away from his back and he bent over his desk, arms propping him up. Alarmed, Aro moved to help him.

He froze when the man spoke. "You may go."

A shuddering breath escaped him. He get a strong hand wrap around his arm and slowly start to pull him away. His eyes never left the Speaker's tight shoulders and the Speaker never turned to watch them go.

* * *

"Are you crazy, Aro?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

"Crona, stop yelling," Aashir admonished softly, watching her pace back and forth; her hands running through her hair.

They had left, finding Aashir in one of the briefing rooms on the lower floors. Aro was barely aware of what was happening; barely hearing her ranting.

The Speaker knew.

And he had let them go.

"Aro!" He snapped out of his daze. Both of them were staring at him. "Sorry," he murmured on instinct.

"What happened, Aro?" Aashir asked.

"Osiris!' Crona yelled, "He brought up Osiris!"

"What for?"

"I compared Asura to Osiris," Aro sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I asked if he had the chance, would he let Osiris back?"

Aashir blinked, "...wow."

"Right?!"

"Crona. Volume." Aashir stood up, "What else, Aro?"

"Before he could...respond, he stopped, thanked us for our time and...let us go."

"The way he spoke, I think he knew we were going," Kain said.

"And...he let us go." Crona had finally stopped pacing.

Aashir sighed, "That was a fool move, Aro. But...maybe we can capitalize on this."

"You think?"

"That depends," Aashir said "Are you still going?"

"Can we still go?" Aro stood from his seat and walked over to the main table, "He knows-"

"And he let you go," the Exo pointed out.

Aro suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "Damn it, that could mean anything!"

Aashir barely blinked at his outburst. "If that's the case," he said, "Then what do you want to do?"

"We…we move forward." Aro straightened up, heart racing, "We move forward, not back." He looked at Crona, "We've come too far."

Aro watched the emotions fly over her face. It had been a long time since he had seen her seem so unsure. And he couldn't blame her.

Suddenly her shoulders relaxed and she drew a shuddering breath. "You're right," she said, "You're right."

"So we're continuing? Good." Aashir reached under the desk, "Otherwise I dragged this up here for nothing."

Aashir had in his hands a helmet, pitch black, designed for a Warlock. He was holding it out to Aro and when Aro finally took it, he felt it pull on him; on his Light.

"You feel it too?" Aashir asked, eyes on the helmet, "It's a Rank V. An Exotic called the Obsidian Mind. Bolsters Voidwalker abilities." His eyes flicked up to Aro's, "Watch yourself wearing this. It'll take your mind right out of your own head if you're not careful."

"I understand." It disappeared, Kain taking it from his hands, "Thank you."

Aashir nodded, "Crona, we have something for you too but it wasn't the type of thing I could just put something in your Vault. A machine gun made by Pahanin, the other person who went inside with Kabr," he said, "Pahanin is the only person to make it out of there alive. Sort of a 'good luck charm' as Aveline calls it, courtesy of her and her brother. They hope you fare better than he did."

"We planned this, you know," Aashir continued, "At least Mira did. Find some way to outfit you, seeing as none of you ever seem to be able to explore on your own. Erek's been outfitted. Kayla got Katrina's Mida Multi Tool. Tarlowe is gonna handle Daniel. It's…" Aashir sat down again, staring at his clasped hands, "It's the best we can do. Best I can do, considering how much grief I gave everyone."

"And now?" Crona asked, her eyes hooded.

Aashir stood again, "Now, you two should head home. Keep track of Zavala and his behavior. But try to rest. I can't even begin to imagine how much you're going to need it."

* * *

"Hey." Daniel rapped softly against the wall, "You awake?"

"More or less." Tarlowe had the chair facing the back window, gazing at the star filled skyline. Daniel joined him, leaning backwards against the desk next to him.

They knew now. All of them. Everything. The truth about their father, his work, their uncle. And for days, they were visibly shaken. Tarlowe had their father's ashes buried, in his spot right next to their mother. A second funeral for the same man.

That only made what came next so much harder.

What would they do if he didn't come back? How would they take it? Christine and Tarlowe were enough to worry about but Maya; she's known loss more than anything and longer than anyone. Not even fifteen years old and most of her family dead and gone.

His death really might be what breaks her.

Despite this, Daniel couldn't bring himself to back out. They had come much too far.

In the week they spent together, the siblings had grown closer than they had ever been before. Spending time together in Tarlowe's office or the main living room. Some times it was the four of them; other times, it was him and just Tarlowe or just Christine or Maya. A shame really. That it took his possible death to bring them closer together.

"Do you remember that Regime project?" Tarlowe suddenly asked, soft voice ringing out in the quiet room.

"I remember being told not to worry about it."

Tarlowe laughed softly, pulling back away from the desk. "Had this delivered sometime ago. Help me out, would you?" Daniel dropped to a knee and peeked under.

It was a gun. He had guessed as much, of the Future War Cult had been so interested. White, red accents, heavy in his hands and overall unremarkable. He placed it on the desk and Tarlowe moved back in.

"Dad had made this. For Vell, apparently," he said, running a hand over the body of the weapon, "Have Caesar scan it."

The Ghost appeared without his prompting, shining cone of blue light over the Auto. "Has all the makings of a basic rifle but…there's something else. A positive feedback system unlike any I've seen put into a weapon. With the right components, the firing system powers a motor, building up energy and then partitions it; half to power the rounds and the other half to be pushed into the user's armor."

Daniel blinked.

"The longer you fire it, the stronger it becomes and by drawing on that energy, the quicker I can regenerate any damage done to you."

"Ah."

"But this," Caesar said, "It's incomplete."

Tarlowe turned the gun over to the side that had their family name emblazoned on it. Probably Tarlowe's idea. Father never had an eye for fashion.

"It wasn't until I cracked into his files that I even realized what the missing piece was." Tarlowe's hand tightened, "When you came back with Mom's ring, I thought that was it. Makes sense, right? That he's take it with him to protect it."

Tarlowe's hand opened again, "But it wasn't. Wrong ring." He pulled the gold band off his large finger, "Had it all along. And I had no idea."

"And Mom's ring?"

"He wanted a piece of her near him." Tarlowe sighed and rubbed his eyes, "He meant this for Vell. A gift to his brother. Same principle applies, I guess," he said, "It's yours, Daniel."

Daniel stared at the rifle before taking it in his hands again and hefting it up. The ring started to spin in the motor, glowing a bright blue. The entire weapon hummed at his touch. "Tarlowe, I…" he exhaled, "Thank you." He looked at the motor again, humming almost silently before his Ghost took it up, "But Dad's ring?"

Tarlowe waved his concern off, "Until I can replicate how he made it, it'll have to stay with you." He pulled on a chain around his neck, which held their mother's ring, "I'll make do."

"Thank you for this, Tarlowe. For…for everything," he breathed, "If there's ever anyway I could pay you back…"

"You could come back alive?" Daniel flinched at the edge in his voice. Tarlowe sighed and turned back to the window. "It pisses me off, you know? I could stop you. I could end this whole thing; keep you here on Earth. I _want_ to. But I can't." His voice cracked, "I couldn't stop Mom. I couldn't stop Dad. I couldn't stop Vell or Eris or Toland. Now you're going. And I can't stop you."

Daniel had never seen Tarlowe cry. To see this be the thing that finally breaks him; the thought of losing him, was jarring. Without thinking, Daniel moved behind his chair and wrapped his arms around him and buried his head in the crook of Tarlowe's neck. Tarlowe's hand came up and pushed through Daniel's hair, holding onto his head. The first time in a long time they had ever been this close.

* * *

Daniel let the door shut behind him after making Tarlowe promise he'd sleep soon. He could see his older sister through her open door, talking to someone. A friend or Shino maybe.

"Christine?"

She turned. He saw the pendant in her hands. "Daniel. Figured you'd be asleep."

"Well, I figured everyone would be asleep but…"he shrugged. She laughed. Christine looked back down at the pendant. "Are you here to take it?" She asked.

"Not till morning."

"Ah." She closed her hand around it.

"Something you want to talk about?"

She shook her head, "Not really, it's just that…"she paused, hand opening again, "This is the key to the Vault of Glass. Why…would he trust something so important to me? Not the Vanguard, not Guardians like you or even Maya, not Tarlowe. Me."

Daniel blinked, "Well I…huh." He didn't have an answer. She was right. It would've been better to let Tarlowe keep the pendant. And Guardian or not, Maya's bracelet too. But he didn't.

"Christine. Daniel, if I may say something," Caesar appeared, eyes flicking back and forth between them, "Do either of you believe, that if your mother was alive, he would've given it to her?"

"It was hers in the first place," Christine said.

"Yes but even after the modifications. I honestly think he would. So why not you? He just needed it kept safe. Didn't say anything about fighting for it. You care. That's enough."

"I could've said that," Daniel sniffed.

"But you didn't."

Christine laughed, "Thank you, Caesar. Really-" she turned around at the sound of a bump and a curse, "Is that…Erek?"

Another curse.

Both stood and went to him, Daniel darting forward to catch him before he tumbled down. He smelled like a brewery.

"Visiting Eren's grave went well, I take it," Daniel said.

"Erek, are you alright?" Christine asked as Daniel hefted him up.

"Case in point," Caesar chirped.

Erek lazily rolled his head, "M'fine. Just…just let me sleep right…here." He stumbled again. Daniel lifted him onto his back and the three of them started towards Daniel's room.

Christine looked him over and sighed, "Figured he'd be getting better."

"Seeing his brother and sister again didn't help. The fact that he refuses to talk to them-"

"Can we not?!" Erek suddenly yelled in Daniel's ear, "Can we…can everyone…just stop?"

Erek deflated against him, "Everything hurts and I'm tired and…I'll talk to them. I'll…I'll fucking talk to them. I will. I need to."

Christine gaped, "Well…good. That's good." She opened Daniel's door and he put the Awoken man down on the bed, while she pulled off his shoes.

"We'll come back, Christine," Daniel suddenly said, "All of us."

She smiled sadly, "It's funny. I feel wrong to hope that you do." She leaned against the doorframe, "Selfish, I suppose. To not want to lose anyone else to some greater purpose."

"It's not, Christine." He stood in front of her, "It's not."

She reached up for his face and brought his head down, kissing him on the forehead before pulling him into a long, tight hug. When she finally stepped back, she smiled at him one last time before returning to her room, finally content to sleep.

Daniel's bed was occupied at the moment. He could always share with Erek but instead, he closed the door to his room and went over to Maya's. Unlike the others, she was actually asleep. He rocked her gently and she instinctively moved back to let him onto the bed. He would sleep here sometimes, whenever she had a nightmare. That was a long time ago, if his feet sticking over the edge meant anything. But years since, here he was again, with his little sister practically wrapped around him.

He used to avoid coming home; it always felt so empty. But now there was too much here to leave behind. He will come back. He had to.

* * *

 _The Suros theme is **Uso by SID**_


	46. VOG I: Here Lies the Abyss

_Finally at the Vault. I'm excited. Are you excited? I'm excited._

* * *

 _Vault of Glass Part I:_

 _Here Lies the Abyss_

* * *

"Weapons and armor checks complete. All systems for all fireteam members operating," Kain announced, "Approaching the Ishtar Sink, Venus."

Aro opened his eyes and breathed out, vision readjusting to the dark. On his knees, Aro twisted to see, as Kain said, the planet looming in on them.

Leaving Earth was hard. The Vanguard were present, as were a few members of the clan; those who had not left for their own missions and patrols. Goodbyes were short and casual; nothing like you would give to a friend or loved one who you might never see again.

The Reef has been different. Aro and the rest looked on in both surprise and happiness as Erek spoke to his sister and brother. Arms stiffly at his side and avoiding eye contact, he apologized for disappearing without warning but not for leaving. He also promised that if he came back, they'd talk more about everything. Openly, candidly; as family.

It was the first time any of them had seen any emotion that wasn't anger in the Prince or regal indifference in the Queen. It was as jarring as it was welcome. Mara said she'd hold him to that promise.

Aro went to the comms, "Are we ready?"

Silence at first before Daniel answered quietly, "As we'll ever be." The others needn't respond. They all felt the same.

Down on the dashboard, Aro lifted up the Obsidian Mind, staring at his reflection in the pitch black visor. He had shaved before they left. Daniel made one last attempt to convince him to grow it out; it was in jest and to lighten the mood but for the first time, Aro seriously considered it. It would almost be symbolic; both the decision and the action. He would come back. And when he did, he'd be a changed man.

Next to it had been a piece of cloth. _The_ piece of cloth. The one with two names. _Arochukwu. Kain._ His and another, soon gifted to his Ghost. Simple and meaningless to nearly anyone who didn't know what it was. But it was the only thing he had had on him when he died for the very first time and was the only piece of his forgotten past he had left. Aro had chosen to leave it on Earth when they went to the Reef but now, something in him told Aro to take it with him. Removing his bond, he tied the centuries old strap of cloth around his arm, loose enough to not restrict any movement although he couldn't blame it if it tore. Then he refitted the bond back around his arm, over the cloth. Out of view but still there, digging into his skin.

Taking one last deep breath, Aro picked up and slipped the helmet on, pushing it down until he heard the familiar click as it locked into place. As expected, the helmet interior lit up, displaying systems info and diagnostics. What he wasn't prepared for was the abnormally ravenous tug on his Light. Aro quickly shook it off.

"We've entered the planet's atmosphere," Kain said. Aro retrieved Hawkmoon from the ship's armory, the silver body glinting in the low light. " _Keep one hand free_ , _"_ He had been told, _"You have people to protect and you have power. Do not hesitate to use it."_ Aro rested the Hand Cannon on his shoulder and gave the last command, "Prepare for landing."

* * *

Aro's feet hit the ground, followed by four more sounds just like it. The engines of their ships blasted hard as they all went back to orbit to await their return. Only then did he turn his attention to the door before him.

The Vault of Glass. He had passed through this area a multitude of times and has even gotten close but this was different. The size of the door alone; he couldn't imagine how big the inside was.

"Well…" Crona muttered, "Here we are."

"Here we are," Erek echoed, "You guys, I'll be honest. I'm trying really hard not to change my mind, so…"

"Open the door?" Daniel asked.

"Please."

"Kayla?" Daniel said softly.

"I agree with Erek. Please."

"Aro?"

He took a deep breath. "Go ahead."

Aro, Kayla, Crona and Erek stepped back as Daniel stepped forward, the crystal end of the pendant dropping from his clutching the chain. He touched the crystal to his visor, as if to kiss it and murmured something under his breath. Aro just barely heard mention of his mother, his father and even his uncle. Then he lifted the pendant up, as if to present it to the Vault. An offering to grant passage.

For half a minute, the only sound was the wind. Then Kayla ominously broke the silence, "It's starting."

The pendant lit up, shining bright even in the sun. Then it started to jump around, always aiming upward until Daniel let go of the chain. The pendent shot into the air, appearing to be nothing but a bright star in the sunny Venusian sky to the Guardians below.

"It's stopped," Kain said, "Now it's…spinning."

The entire area started to quake. Not enough to topple any one over but definitely noticeable by probably anyone in the Ishtar Sink. When the shaking stopped, several pillars started to glow and directly in front of them, a bright white ring of light rose out of the ground.

"Ahead. Sync plates," Kayla jogged forward to a strange bronze ring in the ground. "There's two more. There." She pointed to right behind them in the direction of the path leading to the Citadel. Then she pointed to an area shadowed by Vex structures and vegetation, "And there. They all need to be held until...until some kind of spire finishes forming."

"How?" Aro asked.

"We stand in them."

"Standing," Erek rolled his shoulders, "Sounds easy en-"

Eren cut him off, "Vex signals incoming."

"Of course."

Aro cocked Hawkmoon, "We need all those plates activated. Erek and Daniel, take the right. Kayla, you're with me on the left. Crona, can you hold the center?"

She held up her forearm, their clan mark shining bright on the shoulder of her armor. He bumped his against it.

The first Minotaur appeared right in front of them, arm raised and ready to drop.

"Scatter!" Aro and Kayla Blinked away. Erek grabbed Daniel by the waist and did the same. Crona tucked and rolled, stopping behind the machine; still within the plate. Then she delivered a punishing Arc strike to the Vex's back before finishing it off with several Shotgun blasts.

In behind Aro, Kayla cast a wall of brilliant flames, preventing any Vex from getting the idea of teleporting behind them. Leaving Kayla to hold the plate and fire from long range with MIDA, Aro engaged the incoming swarm head on. He started with an even use of all his powers, focusing on keeping them far away from Kayla on the plate, but there was an itch in him; an itch that had him unconsciously pushing towards the Void.

Vex were being disintegrated and blown apart by his hand left and right but the itch only grew and grew with each of his opponents that he offered up the Void until it reached unbearable levels. That's when he jumped higher in the air than he had thought himself capable of. He twisted around midair and with a roar of exertion, threw down a large Nova Bomb onto the heads of the small army of Vex now attempting to push them out of place. That's when the helmet gave off waves of... _satisfaction_. Aro landed hard amongst the smoking remains of the Vex. The smoke suddenly started to dance and twist in the air, taking on a purple hue before they shot themselves into Aro's body, who was taken aback by the suddenly rush in vigor and energy. Amidst the rush and the euphoria, he only one directive tugging on his attention.

 _Again_.

A flash of red eyes…

A sudden sharp blow to the back of his head woke him up and his eyes darted around. Kayla had smacked him and was now pointing her gun in front of him.

At the horde of Vex standing completely still.

The feeling of elation left. _Very_ quickly.

"Aro, what do we do?" Kayla whispered, sights still aimed down at the frozen army. She knew what it meant when their enemies began acting strangely. They all did.

"Back to the plate. Hurry." Kayla stared at the Vex for a second longer before turning and running backwards, Aro kept Hawkmoon trained on the Machines while he walked backwards, following her.

The case was the same for the other two plates. The Vex just dead still. Daniel, Erek and even Crona too early to attack, taking advantage of their frozen state to remain on their plates unhindered. For the longest time, the only sounds were the wind, ragged, nervous breathing and the whirring of the thousands of gears between the Vex.

Without warning and all at once, the Vex left their combat stance, arms and weapons falling to their sides and their heads extending into the air. It was Kain who told them why.

"The Spire," the Ghost said, "It's done."

"Rally on Crona!" Eyes still on the Vex, all moved to obey. Above her head, the pendant was spinning at an impossible speed and shining bright enough to cast a shadow. From the Spire behind them, a needle thin ray of light shot forwards and pierced the crystal. The crystal cams so bright, none of them could stare at it directly.

The ruins began to quake again, violently enough this time that Daniel had to catch Kayla to keep her from falling. The giant brass wheel in front of them started to spin around.

The brass doors to the Vault of Glass opened up at its base, revealing a long dark tunnel. Wind flew inward from behind them. The Vex didn't move in the slightest.

By the Traveler," Kayla murmured. Daniel laughed in disbelief and pressed the pendant to his helmet again before Caesar returned it to his ship.

Aro took the first step closer. Then the next and the next; one by one, pistol still someday the Vex who didn't even look at them. They all crossed the threshold together, stepping over the line that separated Venus from the Vault.

"I'm detecting nothing inside," Kain said, appearing before Aro and flying inside. "No life forms. No Vex signatures. Nothing on either of the Wraths."

"It's not like this is a victory," Erek pointed out, "I'm sure we have to go further in."

"They aren't here."

Aro nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around and aiming Hawkmoon at…

He lowered the gun and let himself breathe, "Ana?"

"Aro. Crona." She nodded, "It's good to see you again."

Daniel leaned in, "You know her?"

"She helped us kill the Archon Priest. On…" dread filled his stomach, "On the Vanguard's orders."

Ana remained silent.

"Did the Vanguard send you?" Crona asked.

Ana sighed, "You shouldn't have done this Aro. You're much too important." She took a step forward, "I'm under orders to take you back to the City. The fate of the others do not concern me.

From the corner of his eye, Aro saw Crona's shoulders tense slightly. And he couldn't blame her. Would Zavala really just order Aro's retrieval and not the others.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Daniel moved between Aro and the Warlock closing in, "Then the Vanguard shouldn't have sent you alone," he growled, weapon raised.

Ana's head turned towards the Titan. "Always the mouth on you, little Daniel. Surprised to see that hasn't changed. Nor has your tendency to jump to conclusions." She turned back to Aro, covered gaze burning holes in his head, "I never said the Vanguard sent me and I never once said that I was alone."

A single gunshot rang out into the silence. The still Vex units, one by one, started to disappear. An action that nearly escaped the Guardians' notice. All five pairs of eyes were trained in the direction of the gunshot. And on the person holding the gun.

From atop a nearby pillar, Lust lowered Thorn, flashing that brilliant white smile he always had. To their collective right, Sloth was casually leaning against one of the stone structures, one leg crossed over the other. Greed was to their left.

"You've met these three but I'm afraid we have yet to be properly introduced." The Warlock took a deep dramatic bow. It was when she came back up did Aro realize she was now helmetless. What he saw made him feel sick. "My name is Envy, Will of Light. Formerly known as Eriana-3." She looked over at a stunned Kayla with bright red eyes contrasting sharply against a light green metal frame, "It's an honor to finally meet you, sister. Rasputin speaks highly of you."

Aro could've laughed. That's three. Three Heralds by Crota's hand. Gluttony, Greed and now Envy was _the_ Eriana-3. Maybe after this is all over, the shock will finally set in, instead of the numbness he was feeling now.

Aro expected this. He always expected this. The Heralds and their meddling was one sure thing in his short, violence filled life.

Yet he could never plan for them. How could he? They were all powerful wielders of the Light in life and near monstrous in undeath, powers reined in by one mind mind, one hand manipulating everything from the literal Dark.

He couldn't plan for them. The best he or anyone could ever do was fight and beg the universe to allow the to survive doing so.

"Daniel. Why are your here?" Greed asked, soft voice echoing off the ruins. Aro could just barely hear Daniel croak, his arms shaking violently. "ANSWER ME!" he roared.

Aro hadn't seen him since the Moon. The man before them looked more broken than Aro had ever thought a person capable. Gluttony…Toland's death had destroyed him utterly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Envy said, "They want to save their precious friend." She scoffed, "All for one Exo whose entire role in this is so small. It amazes me, Daniel. And you, Crona."

The Herald took another step closer, "Haven't your families lost enough? I mean, in my life, I've made plenty of cracks about Titan single mindedness but did…did your families really never cross your mind while you planned this?"

Crona kept silent. This time, it was Daniel who answered, "Yeah. Yeah, I thought of them. Every single day," his voice cracked as he spoke, "Every day I trained, I thought of them. Every night before I went to bed and this day crept closer, I thought of them. Every chance I was given to back out of this mission, I fucking thought of them!" Daniel straightened up and his shoulders fell limply, "I thought of Christine and Maya. I thought of Tarlowe and mother. I found Toland's journal and I thought of him and of Eris." He swallowed audibly, "Then I went into the Archives."

Greed's jaw clenched and his hands balled up.

"I found my father's body. I saw his last message, recorded on the central terminal. Then I brought him home." Aro didn't need to see his face. He knew Daniel was crying. "Uncle…"

Greed's tight jaw went slack and his hands fell open. A tear dropped from one red eye.

"I know everything. _We_ know everything. And I'm sorry," Daniel sobbed, "What I said on the Moon. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Greed hands suddenly flew to his head and he let out a bloodcurdling scream, loud enough to make the Guardians jump and visibly unsettle Envy, Sloth and even Lust. "That was our warning. From Pride" Envy said, "It's time to wrap this up."

Erek's gun came back up, focused on Lust. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The only reason you are still alive, the only reason we haven't _flayed_ the Light from your very bodies," Lust answered harshly, "Is because, despite what you've heard, Pride has been known to have an occasional merciful streak. It's even worse now, since he feels the time getting closer where you and him will reunite." The Gunslinger laughed, "He misses you, Aro."

"This is our last warning," Sloth declared loudly, bright Arc lightning crawling up his arms, "Go home. Or die where you stand."

Weapons shot up. On both sides.

"Go home, Aro," Lust repeated, cocking Thorn. The Hand Cannon glowed with bright green fire. The Heralds were moving closer inch by inch, with both a seriousness and a hesitation that they had never shown before. Pride was through playing games with them. And if that was the case…then it was over.

Everything they trained and planned for. Laid to waste not by their superiors but by the people who were always most likely to ruin their plans anyway. The people he couldn't do anything about.

Aro's gun started to lower. The others, they would leave if he told them to. Somehow, some way and for some reason he couldn't begin to guess, he had inspired that kind of loyalty in them. He'd die for Asura. Gladly.

But he was not Asura. And he would not let the people closest to him, the ones that have shown him love unconditionally; the ones who have made every year of his short, violence filled life worth every second die for him. He created the monsters standing before him.

He wasn't worth it.

A loud gunshot suddenly cracked out into the silence and Lust roared, a bloody hole tearing through his leg. A second crack and his neck burst open, an artery messily gushing forth.

Envy reacted, sending a blast of flame in an arch around Aro, separating him from his team. Sloth and Greed moved immediately, charging the Guardians, Aro specifically. The world slowed. Sloth's Arc Blade came down overhead…

And was met with another.

Aro hadn't even felt this new Hunter move between him and the Herald, nor did he see another Titan knock Greed off his trajectory. Not until a Warlock has grabbed him and Blinked him back through the fire towards the entrance of the Vault.

On the Titan, a bright sunburst mark stood out on his right collar.

"Josef?!" He heard Erek yell.

"This is all becoming way too repetitive!" Josef yelled back, an obvious smile in his voice.

Katrina's voice rang out on the comms, "They attack. We step in. No points for originality. Not that I'm complaining," she said, the sound of a sniper rifle reloading filled the channel, "I've been waiting to put a bullet in that bastard's neck for two years."

"Aro, are you alright?" Aashir shook him out of his daze. Aveline was behind them, forcing Sloth on the defensive. He quickly got to his feet and let out a sob of relief.

They were here. They were all here.

"We aren't going to be able to hold them for too long, Aro. You all need to move!" The ruins started to quake again. Sora dropped to the ground with the pendant clutched in her fist. Then Aro realized. The door was closing.

Aro took off in a dash towards the opening. The others were already inside, calling and beckoning him inside. When he got there, Daniel and Crona yanked him further in away from the fighting.

He turned back in their arms to catch Envy staring at the, her eyes were narrowed with unbridled rage. The flames around the battlefield started to shake and coalesce around her. She released them with a scream, sending a blazing spear of Solar fire directly towards the Aro and his team.

The blast had caused the others to scatter, leaving nothing between it and them. There was no way the door would finish closing in time.

" _Kain!"_ Aro's helmet disappeared. He pushed out of Daniel's grip and ran directly towards the incoming wave, " _GET BACK!"_

The power came on its own accord. An even larger blaze blasted forward from his mouth, colliding head on with Envy's attack. The result was a fiery explosion that shot high into the air and sent both combatants flying backwards.

Behind Envy, who was standing back up, a black figure appeared. Among the fighting, among the chaos, the world suddenly became very quiet and very cold. Aro felt a dark presence; a cold pressure that would stop his heart if it could.

All of it coming from this stranger.

He wanted to remain ignorant. He wanted to not know who that was. But he knew. He knew who that was. And he found himself walking towards the door again, even as they sealed.

A brilliant flash of light enveloped them and the sounds of the outside went absolutely silent.

"Aro, what's wrong?" Crona shook him.

He started and turned, "Did...did none of you see that?"

"See what, Aro?"

"The...person! They were wearing black and...and…" Aro started to wonder if he was already going insane.

"Didn't see anything behind all the explosions and bullets," Erek sat down on a flat stone.

"I saw them too," Kain suddenly spoke up, "Through your eyes, Aro. They commanded the entirety of your attention."

"And the others are out there with them," he gasped. Aro punched the copper door and cursed, "Fuck!"

"I can't sense any of them," Kain said, "Can any of you Ghosts?"

One by one, they gave the negative. They couldn't detect the other members of their clan. Or the Heralds or even the Tower. It was like the world didn't exist outside of the Vault.

"I think," Kayla started but hesitated, "The Vault uses the key and the Spire to connect to our reality. Once those are shut off, it severs the connection."

"So we're somewhere else entirely now," Aro concluded.

"We're definitely not on Venus, I can say that much," Kayla sighed, "I hope the others are alright. I can't believe they followed us."

Aro could. He should've expected it, just like he should have expected extra effort from the Heralds. He wanted to believe they were alright too but after what he had just saw…

Aro turned his attention to Daniel, who was sitting next to Erek, head facing the ground and his shoulders shaking slightly. Aro went and crouched before him, taking Daniel's large hands in his. Daniel's head fell into Aro's chest and he let himself be held. Kayla and Crona took seats opposite of the men. They'd give Daniel as long as he needed.

After what felt like an hour, Crona spoke up, "Aro. What do we do?"

He looked at her for a second then down into the looming dark. Where everything had been hopeful before, there was only grief and mind numbing terror. All of this just trying to get in. Traveler only knew what waited for them further in.

But Aro could guess. More rampaging war machines, artificial intelligences that played with the fabric of reality like a child with a toy.

And Asura. Asura was down there.

Aro slowly extracted himself from Daniel's embrace and stood, staring into the abyss. "There's no way back," he said as the abyss stared back, "So we go forward."

* * *

" _Just a little longer,_ " Mira thought as she ran behind a pillar to escape the gout of flame," _Hold out a little longer_."

Envy's attack suddenly blew up in her face, sending her to the ground. Mira turned towards the door and Aro slowly stepping towards it was the last thing she saw before the door shut close. Despite the difficulty of the fight, despite the shock of seeing Eriana-3 alive again after so many years, bright smile crossed Mira's face. Aashir's hunch had been correct and her idiotic, near suicidal plan had worked. Aro, Crona, Daniel, Erek and Kayla were all in safely. Now the rest was up to them.

The fighting around her suddenly stopped. The Heralds were frozen in place in whatever position they had been in before, as if it were against their will. Even Lust, who had a gun pointed directly at fallen Aveline, wasn't moving to take the kill. His finger trembled on the trigger.

Mira suddenly felt very cold and very sick. She felt as if a snake had found its way into her armor, had slithered up her neck and was forcibly ripping the heat and the life from her body.

" _You're all very tenacious. I'll give you that_."

The voice alone seized her breath.

Still facing the Vault, one by one, she saw her teammate's bodies go limp and drop to the ground with individual strangled cries. She turned slowly, shaking with a fear she had never known.

Above her head was a hand, holding a solid black sphere, which seemed to be draining the very life out of all of them. She went from the hand, down the arm, across the shoulder, to the face.

Marie's face flashed before her eyes.

Then everything faded to black.

* * *

Shin Malphur watched Mira, Aashir, Katrina and the others all drop one by one.

He still had ammo, the sights were set to put a bullet in Lust's head just like he had with Lust's leg…

But he couldn't fire. Warmth and energy had left his limbs. Even his Ghost's voice was hazy and distant in his head.

All because of that... _thing_ cloaked in black. It was the only word that came to mind; there was no way in hell that it could be a person.

He couldn't move. He couldn't fight. He couldn't step into help them.

But when Mira finally collapsed to the ground, paralyzed with shock, and that monster turned to face him, face still obscured, he pushed past it all. He readjusted his aim and-

The monster had disappeared. He almost dare breathed.

Something behind him did instead.

On combining training with pure fear and instinct, Shin Malphur jumped off his perch. Time slowed as the Hunter twisted around in the air and aimed the scope at whatever had been behind him, finger already squeezing the trigger.

Shin looked through the scope at the face of his attacker...and his heart all but stopped

The gun fired. A tiny hole appeared in the stone next to the hooded head; off target.

The red eyes under the hood narrowed in mocking amusement. A brilliant white smile formed under them.

Shin Malphur barely registered himself falling the rest of the way. His Ghost transmatted him back to his ship just before he could hit the ground.

* * *

"Wrath."

The Hunter's eyes opened at the sound of his name. He stood and hopped off his perch high above the rest of the Glass Throne, landing hard on the ground.

Wrath(K) didn't turn to look at him. His posture was rigid but calm and his red eyes were focused on the entrance. "They got in," he said in that deep guttural voice of his.

"Hmm?"

"They got in. Aro, Daniel, Crona, Kayla and Erek. They are inside the Vault."

Wrath(A)'s fist clenched. "They...how?" he seethed. When his question was met with silence, he roared, " _HOW?!"_

"It seems they've located another working key." Wrath(K) brought up a visual.

There they were, on the inside of the Vault's door. Aro was holding a crying Daniel and the rest seemed just as visibly shaken.

All of a sudden, Wrath(A) laughed, loud and bright. Wrath(K) turned slightly, eyes narrowed as Wrath(A)'s hands suddenly flew and clasped over his mouth in shock. It didn't matter. The roaring laughing continued in his head.

" _I told you! I fucking told you!"_ Asura all but cheered, beside himself with glee, " _They're coming. They're going to get here. They are going to make it past every monster this place could possibly throw at them, they are going to find us and I'm going to go home!_ " The glee was replaced with malice, " _And when I do, Wrath, I plan to repay the favor of our time here. The first thing I'm going to do is find a way to be rid of you for good."_

" _This is still MY body, Asura!"_

" _No, it's not. Not anymore. You had your chance and you've failed. It's mine. And you're trespassing."_

" _Fuck you, Asura."_

" _Such language,"_ the Exo tutted, " _Someone is afraid."_

" _I fear nothing!"_

" _Is that why you're losing control?_ " A voice asked. And it wasn't Asura's.

Asura laughed with relief, " _Spirit. I've missed your voice. I've missed you._ "

" _You've kept me suppressed this entire time almost without effort, Wrath._ " The Ghost's light voice bouncing around the surface of his mind, " _Now you see Aro and Crona first time in months, on their way to do exactly what you said they would never do, and your control slips. You are afraid."_

Wrath(A) growled out loud and grabbed his head with his hands, as if he could tear the voices out.

" _You're afraid. And you should be."_


	47. VOG II: Ghost of Who Once Was

_Just a reminder that my story has pretty much taken on its own canon timeline where things are packed significantly closer together and canon characters are younger than in game. After the final book, I'll post the timeline_

* * *

 _Vault of Glass Part II:_

 _Ghost of Who Once Was_

* * *

"How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it."

"Erek...please," Crona sighed with barely hidden amusement.

"What's the difference between a well dressed man on a unicycle and a poorly dressed man on a bicycle? Attire."

Daniel snorted; a barely caught laugh.

"What was a more important invention than the first telephone? The second one."

It was Kayla, to everyone's surprise, who finally broke, pausing at the front of their little single file line, shoulders shaking with laughter and forcing the rest of them to stop.

They had been walking for what felt like half an hour, following Kayla's memory based map. So far, they had encountered nothing; none of the legendary terrors that haunted the Vault's interior. Just stone and vegetation alternating with the metal of Vex constructs and darkness. Especially darkness; looming and suffocating. As childish as it was, Erek's jokes were probably the only thing keeping the team dropping dead on the spot out of abject, barely contained terror.

Aro wished he could focus on them. Kayla's laughter, Erek's terrible one liners but his mind was everywhere at once. Where are they going? Is Asura alive? Is Mira alive or Jesse or Aashir? Who was that person in the cloak and why did Aro feel his presence so strongly.

And then there was Envy.

"Kayla?" They had continued walking and Aro had moved without even noticing.

"Yes, Aro?"

"Envy. She called you sister."

Kayla stopped again, hand lightly touching the stone wall and said nothing.

Aro didn't need her to. He knew already. "I see. So, it's her then."

"Yes," she finally answered, "It's her. The other Warmind made into an Exo."

"Eriana-3 this whole time," Daniel said, "I met her. When I was younger. Never thought she'd-" he cut off, then he laughed sharply, "We say that a lot, don't we?" He asked bitterly.

"Way too much," Crona agreed.

Erek rolled his shoulders, movement doing nothing to ease his tension, "Now I'm really wondering who Pride is."

"We might find out soon enough," Aro mumbled, berating himself as soon as he did. Four helmets swiveled towards him, expecting an explanation. "Before the door shut, I saw a hooded figure come up from behind Envy. I couldn't see their face," he said, "But something felt overwhelmingly strange when I saw him. It was like the world stopped and there was nothing in it except us two."

He could almost hear Crona blink. "Oh...that's...something."

"That was him." Daniel let out a shuddering breath, "That was really him."

"It guess Pride is officially sick of us interfering with his plans," Kayla said, 'He'd probably come down to 'handle the problem himself-"

"Enough" Aro cut off, harsher than intended, "We should focus on right now. _When_ we get Asura back and _when_ we get out of here, we'll get answers."

"Speaking of answers…" Kayla's Ghost appeared before her and floated slightly ahead.

"Sixx, you have to stay with me!"

"Aro, I'm picking up something," Kain announced.

"As am I," Sol said, "We all are. It seems to be…" the Ghost gasped, "It's an SOS! Old Tower codes!"

"Inside the Vault?" Daniel asked, "Not outside?"

"There is no outside! There's no where else it could be!"

"Stop!" Aro ordered before any of them could take off. The others started, some freezing in place and other's reaching for weapons, "We can't just rush in."

"He's right," Kain said, "There's only one thing in here who could possibly have access to these codes."

Daniel's hand slowly drifted away from his weapon, "Wrath(K). He could be pulling us into a trap."

"That's not his style," Erek said, "If it was him, we'd already know it. He'd be on top of us."

"Maybe Pride ordered our capture. Or at least Aro's," she said, her voice low and apprehensive with the thought that this could be long before it started.

"It's in our path, Aro," Crona pointed out, grip constantly readjusting in her own weapon, "You already said we can't go back."

"Doesn't mean we go rushing ass first either!" Aro took a deep breath, lowering his voice and unholstering Hawkmoon, "We go slowly. _Very_ slowly. Anything that moves too quickly gets shot."

All five unholstered their weapons and Daniel took point, prepared to take head on whatever might have come at them. Kayla remained their guide. Aro ensures everyone was prepared and only then did he prepare to give the order to advance.

"Hello?"

The Guardians went dead still.

"Is…is someone there?" The voice said again. It was small, scratchy and pitifully weak. A small sphere of light staggeringly floated up into the air before floating forward.

It was a Ghost. Dirty frame, dim eye and just barely holding itself together but it was a Ghost nonetheless.

Dread overfilled Aro's stomach. "Sp…Spirit?" He asked, almost too afraid to.

The Ghost let out a sobbing laugh and floated forward with renewed vigor. "Guardians! You're Guardians! I knew it! I knew someone was listening!"

" _Not Spirit,"_ Kain mumbled, " _That's…good?"_

"Yes, we're Guardians," Aro said, moving to the front of the group. "My name is Aro and this is my team. May I ask who you are?"

It's eye flicked over them all, "Ghost. My name is Ghost."

Erek scoffed, "Points for originality." Crona elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm sorry. It's been so long. I think I'm forgetting," she said meekly. Ghost lifted higher, above their heads, "Is…is Pahanin with you?"

"Pahanin?" Aro asked, "The Hunter? Why would he be with us?"

"I saw him escape. Surely he and his Ghost got help. Why else would you be here?"

Seconds ticked by as five minds connected the dots. Then Erek's hands came up to his head in disbelief. Daniel let out a string of curses.

Aro felt like the air had been knocked out of him, "Are you…are you Kabr's Ghost?"

"Yes. I am," she answered simply, as if there was no gravity to her response. "Did you not know that? Didn't Osiris and the Vanguard send you here? Someone was listening, I know it."

Nobody said a thing, too stunned to speak. Kabr's Ghost; still alive! Aro didn't think it possible for the situation to make even less sense and yet here was the Ghost of an old Guardian who had long ago given himself over to Darkness.

And she had no idea.

"Ghost," Aro started, "Have you been here? Since-"

"Since the mission into the Vault, yes."

"And do you know what's happened since then, Ghost? At all?"

"I…no. Not really," she admitted. "Not since I lost my connection with Kabr. When he reached the end of the Vault and…and…" The Ghost's eye lowered.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Kabr…Kabr isn't-"

"Daniel!" Kayla yelled but it was too late. Aro could feel an inkling of hope rising in her.

"Is…is he…"

"Yes…" Daniel answered, "And no."

"I don't understand," she gasped, "I don't understand! Explain! Please!"

"He…he…" Any courage Daniel had managed to muster up to give her the news had disappeared. His shoulders slowly fell as he struggled to stutter out an answer to the Ghost's desperate and hopeful demands.

Crona, who has been silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke up. "Kabr died," she said bluntly, "Then before he could move on, a powerful agent of the Darkness came to him and…offered him a deal. He took it and he was changed."

The air was heavy as lead. Ghost's dim eye swiveled back and forth. "No," she breathed.

"I'm-"

"No!" Ghost exploded, "No! That's a lie! Kabr is a good man and I'm sick of everyone treating him otherwise!" The fire left her as quickly as it came. The others were taken aback regardless, "He wouldn't...he wouldn't."

"Ghost." Sol came out from Crona, "I'm sorry. But it's true. Here, I can share my memories with you."

"But…" she stuttered as she sifted through the images, "Why?"

"We don't know," Crona said, "Ghost, I'm sorry."

"Wait," she said, her eye now aimed at the ground, "You're saying…Kabr controls the Vault? The Vex inside? Maybe…" she let out a gasp, "Praedyth! He's trying to rescue Praedyth!"

" _That name again_ ," Kain muttered.

"Who is Praedyth, Ghost?" Aro questioned.

"Praedyth? You don't know?" She asked back, "He's the third member of Kabr's team. A Warlock with the Future War Cult."

"So…he's real?"

"Of course he is! How do you not know him?"

"There are no verifiable records of a Warlock by that name in Tower records," Kain said, "Writings on the margins of texts but that's it."

"But Pahanin. He must remember," she tried.

"He…he actually did," Kain said, "Before he died and after he came back, he went on about what he saw in the Vault. He mentioned Praedyth's name multiple times."

"Ghost," Kayla called, gaining her attention, "Did something happen to this Praedyth while in here? Do you remember?"

"Yes. Yes, I remember." Her scratching voice filled with fear, "We were attacked by some Vex called the Templar. It shot some kind of energy blast at Kabr and Praedyth put himself in the way. Then he…just flickered and disappeared." She shuddered, "I've never seen anger like Kabr's after that. Not in him. Not in anyone."

"That might explain his name then." Kayla turned back to Aro, "I think the Vex somehow…erased Praedyth. Or at least knocked him out of the time stream."

"So now none of us can remember him."

"The Templar knocked him out of time?" Erek asked, nervously adjusting the grip on his weapon, "Is that what we're dealing with in here. Not only could we be killed but our families might never even remember us?"

"Seems so," Daniel muttered quietly.

"Damn it," Erek started to hyperventilate, "Fucking god damn it!"

"Erek. Erek, calm down!" Daniel gripped his shoulder.

"Calm down? How the hell are we supposed to beat something like that?!"

Ghost spoke up, "I know." Five heads swiveled back to her, "K...Kabr beat it. I remember how he did. It had an impenetrable shield that nothing could get through."

"Then how did Kabr beat it?" Crona asked.

"He broke the shield."

Erek threw his hands up in terrified frustration. Another unbeatable monster. And they had to go through him.

"But he used his Light when he beat through the shield. He overloaded it and caused it to drop. Kabr's Light…" she stopped, "Or what little is left of it is still with me. I'm sure I can take down the Templar's shield."

"Then it's settled," Aro decided, "You're coming with us. And you might be able to see Kabr again."

"If we make it," Erek muttered.

"If we're done here, I think it's time we continued on," Aro said, "Erek-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm with you." The Hunter rolled his shoulders, "Not like I can go anywhere."

"Ghost, you'll stay with Kayla. Kayla?"

"Hmm?"

"Your memories? Are you still good?"

"Yeah, we're still good." She nodded her head towards the tunnel, "Way's this way, whenever you're ready."

"Then back in formation," Aro ordered, feeling the fear well back up, "And move out."


	48. VOG III: The Templar's Well

_Vault of Glass Part III_

 _The Templar's Well  
_

* * *

"Sun," Erek breathed, staring upwards, "There's sun here. It...it can't be ours, can it?"

Kayla was just as enamored by it but she turned away and sighed, "I hate to say it but no. It's a yellow sun but the energy emissions differ pretty dramatically from ours."

"This place floats both in and outside of reality," Ghost said into their comms, "One section of the Vault can be in one part of the galaxy, the next in may even be our Sun but a billion years older."

Just like that, the little spark of hope that the light had managed to put into them was snuffed out. They were as far away from home as possible and the only way out was through.

So through they went. Jumping one by one over pillars and floating platforms of stone patched with vegetation that matched nothing known in their solar system. All the while, Kabr's Ghost asked them questions. What has happened since time passed. What became of Osiris or Lord Saladin.

In turn, they learned more about Kabr; the Exo who would become Wrath. A quiet man. Few friends, not because he was so unlikeable but because he never socialized well. An insecurity he never really admitted to be one. Second to Pride, Wrath seemed the most enigmatic of the Heralds. But he was always a normal person, just trying to find his place in the world until his time was abruptly cut short.

They had been silently following Kayla for a while when Ghost spoke up, "Guardians, may I ask you something?"

"We're listening," Kayla said.

"Pahanin. How did he die?"

Everyone stopped. Aro wondered if Erek could feel all the eyes that had just flickered in his direction.

"He...was mur-"

"Murdered." Erek loudly cut her off, "By one of his fellow Hunters named Dredgen Yor. Dredgen Yor killed him, two other Guardians and several civilians." He spat out the answer out like bile and anger radiated off him like heat from a flame.

"I...I had no idea," the Ghost murmured, obviously stunned, "But someone stopped him right? Before he could hurt more people."

"He was killed," Aro spoke up this time, "But the deal that Kabr took was also offered to him. He's still around."

"And Kabr is working with him? Pahanin was one of his friends, he would never-"

"That's the thing with these deals," Erek said, voice much softer than before, "The Heralds do as they're told. Wrath doesn't have a say in the matter, regardless of how he feels."

"If I could change the subject," Crona interjected, her gaze further down, "Sol says we're coming up on a large open area. Kayla? Ghost?"

"The Templar's Well," both said at the same time. Kayla turned towards her, "Go ahead. You know this place better than I do."

"The first Vex Mind we encountered, Praedyth called the Templar," she explained, floating to the head of the group. "It uses these…lights called Oracles. They can see into the future. _Any_ future, such as ones where their opponents don't or never existed. Then they bond with the Templar and the Templar manipulates reality in its Well to make that future real." Her eye and voice lowered, "It's how Praedyth was wiped."

"Weaknesses," Daniel said, "That thing must have weaknesses."

She perked up, "The Oracles can be destroyed. And even if one manages to bond with the Templar, its attack can still be avoided."

"But it only needs to get us once…" Erek murmured.

"Kayla." Aro nudged the other Warlock, "Does this match up with what you have?"

To their surprise, she let out a small laugh. "Yes, it does. Almost word for word," she said, "Ghost, you don't know who received your distress signal, right?"

"Right. Just that it was received."

"Well, the receiver was Rasputin. I know that now. He must have taken in her information in the short amount of times the Vault connected to our reality." She was speaking to all of them now.

"The Russian Warmind? But he's dead!" Ghost flew in close to her.

"No, he's not. He never has been," Kayla said, "I know because I am…or at least I used to be a part of him."

"You used to be a Warmind? That's…that's amazing!"

Aro cleared his throat, getting their attention, "Let's focus, everyone," he ordered, trying to steer them back on track. One of the biggest fights of their lives was just a few minutes walk away.

"The Well is ahead." Kayla pointed towards a large open area ahead of them, floating in the abyss. Leading up to it were similar floating rises of stone.

"I'll go first," Erek announced, taking a few steps back. Then he broke into a hard sprint and jumped at the edge of their walkway. The Hunter got halfway before bending the momentum under his feet to gain a second lift. He rolled into his landing at the center of the rise facing the the Templar's Well.

Kayla and Crona cleared the gap in one go. Aro and Daniel followed close behind. "Kayla, where will the Oracles appear?" He asked, squatting next to her.

She pointed as she called them out, "Left, center, right. Just stay there and shoot them when they appear." She paused, "Also Vex."

"Naturally," Aro sighed, "Crona, you take the right with Daniel." He rose to his feet, "Erek and Kayla, take the left. I'll take the center."

"By yourself?" Daniel asked, stepping closer, "I can-"

"No." Aro cut off a bit harsher than he planned to, "I can handle this, Daniel. You know that." He heard Daniel let out a small sigh. "Move out." Crona, Erek and Kayla jumped down to the main platform at his order. Daniel stayed behind for a few more seconds before joining them.

"Aro." He turned towards Ghost, "The enemy you're about to face is extremely strong. Pahanin and Praedyth never made it past here. I didn't either; Kabr left me here when he thought I was dead. Just...be careful."

"Our survival here depends on you," Aro reminded her, "How do you plan to drop the Templar's shield?"

"I...don't know the details," she admitted uneasily, "I just know that I can because Kabr could."

"And the Templar. How do we get it out here?"

She wordlessly floated ahead of him, looking down over the Well, "It's coming."

"We've got contact!" Crona yelled over the comms. Even in the open void, Aro could hear the slow metallic march of incoming Vex. This was it.

Erek's voice rang in Aro's ears next, "Aro, we have a problem." He ran to the edge. "Ghost, what are those?"

She flew up next to him, "They look like Confluxes. Like the ones that sometimes appear in the Citadel."

"But why are they in here?!"

"I...I don't know!"

Aro growled in frustration. They could figure out their purpose later. But if these metal cores with hard light lattices were just like the ones on Venus, it didn't matter. "Do not let the Vex near those Confluxes!" he shouted the command. He leapt off the platform and let himself free fall to the center of the well, slowing his descent just before he hit ground, "I don't know what they do and I couldn't begin to guess. But if the Vex sacrifice too many, then it's over."

A flash of red and a Goblin appeared before him, glowing palm aimed at his head. Aro ducked to the side, almost feeling the force of the blast through his helmet. He brought Hawkmoon up to the machine's chest and blew it apart. It's falling chassis revealed even more of them, advancing, stepping over or on the body of their fallen.

Under their feet, a line appeared in the ground, glowing red hot. Aro threw his arms up with a yell of exertion, raising tall wall of fire between him and the Vex. He knew that wouldn't stop them; nothing short of death would. But if they were so desperate to get to the Conflux behind him, they were going to burn for it.

" _Is radiolaria flammable?"_ Kain asked in his head and Aro allowed himself a small smile. He shot one Vex to pieces, broke another down to nothing but molecules. He shot another down and in its place, a spinning green light appeared. "Hey guys? Is anyone else seeing a...spinning green light?"

"Those lights!" Ghost screamed, startling them, "Those are the Oracles! Shoot them! Shoot them quickly!"

Aro didn't need to be told twice. He unloaded Hawkmoon's clip into the spinning cube of energy, watching it burst into a shower of brilliant green sparks. But where one was destroyed, another appeared to take its place. Still the Vex keep coming, swarming around the Oracle in order to keep it safe and still, the Templar remained in hiding. Like all the damage they were doing did not even merit its energy or response. Slamming his palm to the ground, Aro created a tiny singularity, ripping the Vex off their feet and sending them skidding into the vortex.

Aro shot up into the air, twisted around mid flight until he was facing a sea of red eyes and threw his hand downwards, firing off a thunderous Nova Bomb, blackening the ground; empty where a battalion had stood just moments before.

The Confluxes disappeared. Without warning, a piercing metallic sound that could only be described as a scream rang out into the abyss. Aro fell to the ground and lost both his footing and his hold on his weapon from the shock. The sound reverberated inside his chest, threatening to shake him apart. When it finally stopped, he could feel a tiny sliver of liquid warmth running down the side of his head and the uncomfortable itch of his inner ear being repaired.

"What…the _fuck_ …was that?!" Erek seethed, voice raw with rage and pain.

"The Templar," Ghost uttered in abject terror, "It's coming. It's coming!"

A pillar of white energy shot from the center of the Well up into the air. The Well began to quake, bits and pieces of rock shaking off the walls.

The pillar exploded, the force of it finally managing to knock Aro off his feet. Scrambling to his feet, Aro found himself face to face with what must've been the largest Vex Hydra he had ever seen. The Templar let out its horrific scream again, Aro's hand's flying uselessly to the side of his helmet on instinct. The sound alone was too much but then it started attacking. It's Void cannons fired off like machine guns knocking smoking chunks of rock of the stone pillars. Aro only hoped the others were still alright.

"Ghost!" He called, flinching when one of its blasts hit too close, "That shield! How do we take it down?"

"I have to get in close!"

"What?!"

"Ghost, we can't do that!" Kain said.

"We have to! I can't think of any other way!"

"She's right, Aro." Crona this time.

Aro ground his teeth in frustration. "Alright. I can-"

"No," Crona interrupted, "You distract the Templar. Draw its attention while she comes over to me. I'll take her."

"We've got Oracles!" Erek alerted.

Ghost turned to him, "If any of those Oracles reach the Templar, we're done. It's now or never!"

"Go!" Aro sprang up from behind his cover, shooting uselessly at the Templar's force field. He ran towards Erek and Kayla's position, drawing the Templar's fire with him. Ghost took the opportunity and flew as fast as her little, frail body could carry her in the opposite direction. Erek grabbed Aro's arm and pulled him in when he got close enough.

Daniel peeked over cover. "Crona, you're not gonna get another shot. You have to go."

"Ghost, are you…Ghost?!"

She didn't respond. She was staring at Daniel. "You. You have something."

"What?" Daniel reeled slightly back, "What are you-"

"I need it!" Ghost yelled, desperation in her voice, "Whatever it is you have, I need it!"

Daniel stared in silence for a few more seconds before opening his palm. Caesar transmatted Maya's bracelet into his hand. "Is this what you mean?" He asked, voice quiet.

Ghost didn't answer. She drew in close to it, a cone of her light washing over it. Then all of a sudden, the Ghost split apart; pieces of her attaching to the bracelet with her eye in the center. Realizing what she meant to do, Daniel held it out to Crona, who after a second of hesitation, put it on; the metal adjusting to her wrist size.

"No! Damn it!" Aro suddenly yelled. Daniel and Crona's heads spun around at the exclamation. One of the Oracles had managed to evade them and was making its way towards the Templar.

Daniel let out a shaky breath, "Crona, you need to go. Now!"

She leapt over cover and ran at the Templar head on. From her distance, she saw Aro jump and chase after the escaping Oracle, throwing all the firepower he had at it. The only thing his efforts accomplished was gaining the totality of the Templar's attention on himself. Aro leapt and glided around the Well, bouncing off pillars in an effort to keep himself in the air.

One of the Void blasts caught him on the leg and sent him spiraling. Another caught him in the chest and slammed him to the ground. The Oracle reached the top of the Templar's head and fused with the glowing sphere there. Ghost's terrified mutters were lost to the sound of the Templar's horrific scream. Its body shone white hot and burst outward into a million tiny beams of light.

" _No!"_ Crona screamed as she pushed herself to run even faster. The needle like beams showered the ground around Aro.

She put herself between the Warlock and the Templar. He raged at her, "What are you doing?! Move!" Aro grabbed her waist in an attempt to pull her behind him. She turned to him in a desperate attempt to push out of his grip.

One of the blasts pierced Aro's head. Before she realized what just happened, another pierced her back and shot through her heart.

The Templar stopped and screamed at its victory.

Aro's body started to lose its opaqueness. Crona could see his torso through his harms. The ground through his legs. The dark void of the Well through his head. She shakily brought up her own arms. Ghost's words about Praedyth's final moments flashed through her mind.

 _Then he…just flickered and disappeared._

Crona fell heavily to her knees, not even feeling the impact of action. Despite the chaos of the Templar; still attacking the others, everything was glaringly silent. She saw Kayla desperately scrambling for them, Erek trying to keep her down. She saw Daniel running for her and Aro. They might have been screaming their names. She didn't know.

Aro's gaze never left her. His shoulders were slumped but his grip on her was vice tight. He realized the gravity of the situation and like her, he was absolutely terrified.

It was over. They were going to die.

Her thoughts turned to her family. They must've known by now where she was. Maybe it was better this way. Being erased. Forgotten. Her family could never mourn someone they had never met.

She could feel nearly nothing. Not the ground beneath her or Aro weakening grip. But what she did feel was a weak pull on her left arm and her Light. Her Light. Her Light and her Ghost were always there. She wanted to tell Sol to run, to leave her behind. But she knew he would refuse; that he would be offended. It was her and him from their first day together to their last.

She'd have her Light. She'd have her Ghost. And she'd have her best friend. One of them. She would never again have the other. Aro slumped forward. Crona let out a strangled sob. She couldn't even hear it.

The pull on her arm and Light became stronger, more forceful. Crona didn't know what it was and did not care. Her world was dimming, black crawling into her vision. She followed the force and lifted her arm. She let go of her Light and let it flow.

And suddenly she felt everything again.

Crona's entire body clenched violently; every nerve on fire, just like it was after her first death and rebirth. Shining white light obscured everything in her vision. So bright and warm but there was a force behind it, as if the light wanted to protect; it was the most wonderful thing she had felt in her life.

A body collided with her, nearly knocking her over. The light shifted with her.

"Crona?! Aro?! Can you hear me?!" It was Daniel yelling and shaking her. Slowly, the haze in her mind lifted.

She was still in the Templar's Well. She was solid and whole again! She looked around her, regaining a sense of her surroundings.

The light was surrounding her, enveloping her, all five of them, was shaped like a dome. The Templar was outside, screaming, shooting. Neither did anything to hurt them.

Crona shifted her left arm. The dome protecting them shifted with her. "What is…" she looked down at her arm, seeing four spires extending from her gauntlet, a web of Light cast between them. "Ghost, what is this?!"

"It's how we take down the Templar."

Aro coughed, his voice returning. "Crona, do you still need to get close?"

"She doesn't," Ghost answered for her, "But the shield needs to drop."

A big hand landed on both their shoulders. "Are you both alright?" Daniel asked.

"We'll be fine," she answered shakily. "Ghost, what do I do?"

"Aim me at the Templar and focus your Light through me! Quickly!" The Templar's guns were firing up again.

Crona brought up the shield and with a yell of exertion, fired off a white ball of energy. The sphere floated through the air, making its way to the Templar.

The sphere made contact with the shields. With a resounding crack, the Templar's shield flattened and suddenly burst open, leaving the Vex Mind completely exposed.

Aro wasted no time on shock or fluttering hope. He gave his one order. " _FIRE!"_

The Templar's Well exploded into a brilliant display of Light and sound. The Templar rocked and screamed with every bullet that pierced its body, every rocket that tore a piece of it's armor off, every bit of Light that shocked, burned or disintegrated areas of itself that had never before been so much as touched. Not since the last one…

The Templar's shield reset itself; the Guardians' brutal assault did not last. Vex began marching in again, Oracles reappeared and the Templar resumed its own onslaught, albeit with much more vigor than before.

It mattered not. A sharp crack of lightning burst out from Crona's left and from the behind the Vex moving in on her position, she could see Erek dashing to and fro, Arc Blade cutting through hammered brass like air. Kayla kept close to him, taking on the Vex at Erek's back.

Aro joined Daniel. The Warlock baited the Vex towards the Oracle, using the Void to rip them in when they had gotten close enough. The Well shook with the force of Daniel's Fist of Havoc from above their heads.

One managed to escape their notice again. One instinct, they moved on Crona. When Crona felt the same pull on her Light from before, she let it flow freely. The shield appeared and when she fed it more energy, the dome spread outwards, covering them all. The Templar's ultimate and deadly attack did nothing, accomplished nothing. The Templar screamed again. Crona hoped it was in frustration. Or even fear. It was about time the monster felt how it made her feel.

Crona dropped the shield, put both her arms together behind the shield and sent out another energy blast. Same as before, the Templar's shield collapsed and the Guardians brutally tore into it.

The Templar screamed again, this time in a rage and anger that could almost physically felt. Pieces were falling off its body. Sparks emanated from cracks in its chassis. It was dying, it knew so and it was going to take all of them with it.

Crona charged the Templar, Void blasts shaking the ground under her feet. She slid behind a pillar, narrowly avoiding a blast to the head. She climbed up the pillar, nearly losing her footing when the Templar blasted a chunk of it away but making it to the top above its head.

She had seen this before. When they first faced a Fallen Walker, her, Asura and Aro. A monster under her feet with the fear she had felt before long gone from her heart. A sign of hope maybe.

Two thunderous explosions rang out from both her left and her right. Split into two groups, the others targeted the tallest, thickest pillars raised above the Templar and destroyed the base. The pillars connected with the Vex Mind, shattering on impact. The Templar smashed into the ground and wobbly tried to rise up again.

Crona jumped. Her body exploded in a brilliant display of Arc Light. She dropped downwards, the shield on her arm reappearing and pushing out before her.

She made contact with the Templar, piercing the battered metal with some resistance. But the resistance soon gave way and before Crona knew it, she was on the ground again, behind the Templar.

A beam of light shone out from where Cron had pierced it. Then more beans from even smaller cracks. The Templar fell to the ground and exploded. The blast sent the shattered pieces into the air and off of the Well. They fell, spiraling forever into the nothing below.

Crona's shoulders slumped and she fell to her knees. Her hand came up to her heart; it would not stop racing. The Templar was dead. They were not.

Crona was tackled, letting out a surprised grunt. Kayla had her arms wrapped around her, her shoulders shaking with barely restrained sobs. Crona quickly embraced her back, holding the Exo close; reminding her and herself that she was okay. She was still here.

She was still here.

* * *

They were in a dark, barely lit tunnel, sitting around a woodless flame Aro was maintaining. A door had opened on the opposite side of the Well. They didn't know what was behind it but empty or not, Aro refused to remain in the Well.

Daniel hadn't left his side since the end of the fight, his hands always somewhere on Aro, holding him, reminding himself that he was still here and of what was almost lost.

"Why did you put yourself in front of me, Crona?" Aro suddenly asked. None of the others reacted to his voice. He must've switched the radios to just between them.

"I was trying to protect you."

"You would've been wiped," he reminded her. As if she wasn't there.

"Was that supposed to stop me?"

"You have a _family_ , Crona." His voice took on an edge, "You can't afford to be just…throwing your life away."

"Are you serious?" She struggled to keep calm, to keep a lid on her anger and not give away their conversation. "You expect me to just see you in danger, know that I could do something and do nothing anyway?"

"Who would your family rather have back, Crona? You or me?"

She let out a shuddering breath. "That's not fair, Aro."

His entire body went slack. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just…" he sighed, "Crona, if anything happens to me, this whole thing ends. Pride's plan for Earth ends in failure. Everyday I regret bringing you into this; all of you. I…I don't want anyone to die. Least of all for me."

The way he held onto Daniel as tightly as he was being held, the way his entire body refused to relax and unclench. He was still reeling from what had happened. Calming words would probably do nothing to help him. Instead all she said was, "I'm sorry. But I can't do what you're asking of me. I hope you understand."

"And if you die?"

"Then I died protecting a friend and maybe one day, my family will forgive me for that."

On her wordless signal, Sol switched her radio back to the group. "Ghost. Can you hear me?"

"Yes," was all she said from her place on Crona's wrist.

Crona lifted her left arm and stared at the golden bracelet wrapped around the wrist. "What…what happened back there? What is this?"

"It…bonded to Kabr's Light. Cycling it and used your Light to amplify it. I'm sorry. I know that must be confusing."

"I remember information about something called 'the Aegis' in the Archives," Kayla said, "This must be it. Adrian must've created it with Rasputin's help.

"One key lets you into the Vault," Daniel intoned, "The other lets you survive."

"Whatever the Templar did to you and Aro that nearly wiped you," Ghost said, "I managed to cleanse and protect you from it."

"You sent everything you knew out, Rasputin picked up on it and used Adrian to make it." Erek laughed mirthlessly, "What isn't he capable of?"

Without a word, Aro got to his feet. The fire slowly died down. "We know it can help us. We can understand it later."

"You sure you're ready?" Daniel asked, standing after him.

Aro turned to Crona, silently giving her the same question. She stood as her response. Then Kayla and after some tired muttering, Erek hopped to his feet.

"Kayla, take point," Aro ordered, "Everyone else, watch her back. We have a real chance at this now. Hold on to it. Let it drive you. We will get Asura and we will go home." He turned to Crona, "All of us."

Crona smiled under her helmet. " _Sol? Are you still there?"_ she thought to her Ghost.

" _Yes. I'm here. Bit shaken up but...I'm here,"_ The Ghost responded, putting into words how she felt herself, " _Crona?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _Thank you. For not asking me to leave,_ " he said, " _I don't think it would've been an order I could follow. I look at Ghost and how she is now and...I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it_."

Emotion welled up in Crona's throat. She forced it back down before it could break out into a sob. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her Ghost wiped them away.

* * *

 _Fun right?_


	49. VOG IV: The Gorgon's Maze

_Vault Of Glass Part IV:_

 _The Gorgon's Maze_

* * *

"First sun, now water." Crona watched the brownish green liquid slosh around her feet, "This is water right? Or am I walking in, I don't know, liquid methane?"

"It's water. Kabr believed it was," Ghost said, from her place on Crona's wrist.

"The Aegis" it had been called. A weapon designed directly to counteract the abilities of the Vex and their ontological weaponry. Disabling the Templar's shield, reaffirming their connection to this reality; Rasputin had picked up Ghost's emergency signal from within the Vault and had spent the long years since designing a weapon to combat the monsters that resided within. And even then he needed a person with enough intellectual acuity and technological capability to build it.

But Kabr's Ghost, her knowledge of the Vault and her connection to Kabr's residual Light were required for it to be useful. As they took their time moving slowly through the Vault pathways, Aro couldn't help but wonder; did Rasputin know they would encounter Ghost? That she'd know what to do?

What if she hadn't? What if they had never met her? What if they had stumbled past her and into the Templar's Well with no form of protection?

It was these quiet times; these calms after the first storm and before the next one that gave a fighter ample time to become distracted and reflect on every single possible scenario that ended in disaster and in misery. Aro cut his train of thoughts off before they could spiral any further downward. He could have his little panic attack when Asura was safe and they were all home.

"Ghost?" Aro called out, "What are we walking into next?"

She was silent for a worrying amount of time. Then she ordered them all to stop.

"Osiris called them Gorgons," she said, "They're Harpies but bigger and much more durable. From what I can glean from Kabr's memories, they reside in some kind of…he described it as a maze."

Daniel stepped forward, to Aro's side, "Can you navigate the maze with his memories?"

"I can. But I can't predict the movement of the Gorgons."

"You keep calling them Gorgons." Kayla kept readjusting her grip on her weapon. A nervous habit, "I've read old Earth literature. Very old."

"As have I," Aro said.

Erek turned to them from the front of their group. "And you've heard of these Gorgons?"

"They have the ability to instantly kill whoever they see," Kayla answered, "And cross referencing this fact with the abilities of the Vex, 'kill' must mean 'erase'. Am I right?"

Ghost went silent again.

Daniel let out a shuddering sigh, hand going up to his helmeted head, instinctively trying to run through his hair. "Traveler…they only need to look at us? The Templar at least had to hit us!"

Crona brought her wrist up, "Can the Aegis protect against their attack?" She asked.

"I-I don't know."

"Can we destroy them before we're erased?" Erek asked.

"I don't-"

"You have to know something!" Daniel demanded loudly.

"Everyone settle down!" Aro ordered before things could spiral out of control. Then he turned to Crona. "Ghost," he said as calmly and placatingly as he could, "How did Kabr get through?"

"He…he watched them for a long time," she said, "That's how he found out what they can do. There's pillars and tunnels we can use to our advantage."

"He was one person," Daniel pointed out, "We're five."

"And remained undetected the entire time?"

"He…" Ghost suddenly gasped softly, "He didn't! I can see it better now. He didn't!"

"Ghost, focus!" Aro ordered, "Tell us what he did!"

"He destroyed them. He managed to destroy them! But…he had to do it before they noticed him."

"We're not Kabr," Crona pointed out, "If they're as durable and as quick in their abilities as you say, we'd have to be like Kabr."

"Move like lightning and hit like a planet," Erek muttered. Despite the deadpan of his voice, he was checking his weapons, preparing for a fight.

"Ghost, give me more. High points we can get to-"

"Only one is at the end of the maze. Leading to the end of the Vault."

"A ceiling?" Aro tried.

"There's a ceiling. And it's within reach."

Daniel rapped his knuckles on Aro's Obsidian Mind, "I can hear the gears turning in there. What've you got planned?"

"Well," Aro sighed, "Let me preface this by saying, we're going to have to split up." He paused to let the fact sink in, "But doing so will allow us to cover more ground. If we can use our Ghosts to locate the most structurally unstable parts of the maze, we can place grenades there. We can then detonate them when we get to the end and bury the Gorgons in their own maze."

"Yes," Ghost agreed, "The collapsing ceiling could be enough to kill them before they can change anything."

Aro pointed at Crona, "In the meanwhile, Ghost can be leading us through the maze. Ghost, give Kayla and Crona the most direct routes to the end of the maze. They're priority; without them, we've got little chance of surviving in here."

"The most complicated path, I can take," Erek suddenly spoke up. He could feel the surprised looks coming from underneath helmets, "What? I'm the fastest and the quietest. Who else but me?"

Daniel nudged Aro, who was still gaping, "He's right."

"I know he's right, I'm just surprised to hear him say it." Aro rose up, "Ghost, how far?"

"Just ahead," she announced and Aro felt the pre fight jitters start to well up in him once again.

"Aro," Daniel called quietly, "I've switched the channel to just us."

"Yes? What is it? Something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing. Just...be careful." His fingers brushed against Aro's.

Aro grabbed them before his hand could drop away and squeezed, "I will. I promise. You too, alright?" Aro then switched back to the main channel, "Are we ready?"

"Kayla and Crona, take the left path," Ghost started, "It's the most direct way to the end of the maze. The Vex know this so…"

"So it'll also be the way they watch the most," Kayla finished.

"Aro, Daniel and I take the right then?" Erek confirmed, already walking in his designated direction.

"Yes. What are-"

Erek suddenly pointed his gun into the air and fired off the entirety of the clip. The roar of the gun echoed off the walls of the maze, ringing further into the cavern. "There," he said, "They'll know we're here and they'll come to investigate."

"Taking their attention away from the left," Kayla laughed, "Erek, that's brilliant!"

"No, no. Do _not_ compliment me on this," he countered, "This was possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done."

"Guys, Harpies are pretty fast," Crona reminded, already edging towards the left, "Maybe we should…"

"Go. Go!" Aro ordered and the rest took off without another word. Even over their running steps, Aro could hear familiar mechanical whirring. " _Aro, that pillar! That one!"_ Kain directed him. Aro dropped down at running speed, sliding along the wet rocky ground and stopping behind the pillar. Aro fell back against the pillar and tried to quiet his breathing. He slowly shifted over, hoping to see what was on the other side of the pillar.

A slender bright blue tentacle poked out from the other side, flowing like water. Just like it had on the Templar. Aro pushes himself off the wall just enough to break physical contact with it and crept around the pillar, away from the Gorgon. Then he went still and waited. The tendril floated. The Gorgon Aro still could not see chirped softly. After a few seconds of what Aro could guess was the Vex investigating did it finally float off.

Aro released the breath he didn't know he was holding. _"Kain, the others?"_

" _I'm collaborating with the other Ghosts now,"_ Kain murmured within his thoughts, " _We decided its best if we communicate like this. The others are alright, undetected. Kayla and Crona have already started setting up charges. We need to catch up. We can start here."_ Kain indicates slightly above Aro's head. Aro formed the tiny explosive ball of Solar energy in his palm, putting more focus than usual on its containment. In the dark, he grabbed at a raised ledge. Heaving himself up, Aro jammed the Fusion grenade against the stone. The Light tugged on his mind as he kept the grenade contained, almost as if it were demanding release. Nothing seemed special about the spot but if the Ghosts were all right, it would bring the entire maze down on the Gorgons' heads.

Aro dropped to the ground. _"Where to next, Kain?"_

" _Just up ahead."_

Alone, they each followed Aro's plan; planting charges and evading the Vex. Occasionally, a solitary gunshot or a short stream of them would ring out. Then Aro would freeze and hold his breath. Who had been seen? Was this their attempt to fight? Had they been erased that quickly?

Seconds passed like hours until his Ghost gave the all clear, telling him that everyone was fine and that the gunshots were likely to distract the Gorgons or draw them away from someone else. Upon hearing the news, Aro would simply breathe a sigh of relief, suppress his lingering panic and get back to work.

As planned, Kayla finished first and Crona joined her right after at the top of the cliff overlooking the maze. They could see the Gorgons in their entirety now; oversized Harpies with waving blue tendrils and a bright, ethereal glow similar to the Templar.

" _Kain, Daniel's status?"_

" _Wrapping up, same as you."_

" _And Erek_?"

" _He's got a bit more to go but he's avoided detection so far,"_ Kain replied, _"I don't want to jinx this but…things are looking up_."

" _Seems almost wrong_ _to get so hopeful. We haven't even seen who we're looking for. But…"_ Aro placed his last charge, " _I get how you're feeling."_

Aro left his area, the sum total on the grenades pulling more forcefully on his mind as he focused to keep them contained. Stumbling towards the back wall on the far left of the maze, Aro jumped, letting his Light lift him into the air. When it took his as far as it would go, he dug his hands into the rock face, using it as a hand hold. Then he positioned his feet on the flat against the stone and, with exertion, lifted up once again. He did this until he reached the top, where a large armored hand grabbed his. He could almost see Daniel's smile when he pulled him in.

Crona stepped forward. "All charges are set, Aro," she reported.

Aro looked around, "Erek still down there?"

"Wrapping up, according to him." Kayla pointed at him, positioned at the top of a pillar, legs holding him in place as he placed what Aro hopes was the last charge.

It all happened so fast. A loud crack rang out. Aro's heart jumped into his throat.

Part of the pillar's peak dislodged and broke off. With nothing to hold onto any longer, Erek slipped downward, stopping only when he took out his knife and dug it into the stone, leaving him hanging.

" _Aro,"_ Kain called, _"I take it back._ "

" _So do I._ "

Daniel spun towards him. "Aro, we need a plan. Anything. Anything!"

Erek's knife slid down suddenly, him along with it. Then the crack suddenly burst open and the knife edge slipped loose. The Hunter tumbled down the pillar and landed hard and loud on the ground.

A Gorgon rounded the corner.

"Aro?" Daniel called. "Aro, you have to have something!"

Trembling with barely restrained terror and panic, Erek crawled backwards, his eyes never leaving the Vex.

The Gorgon floated closer. Then it opened.

"Aro!"

Erek's arm suddenly shot up, his entire body enveloped in flames. Faster than any of them could react or even blink, his Golden Gun fired one single powerful shot. The Solar bullet pierced the Gorgon's eye and through its body, exiting out the back and continuing on until it slammed into the ceiling above.

The Gorgon twitched but otherwise remained still. It's top wing fell off and clattered to the ground, it's only remains as the rest of the body dissolved in Solar fire.

Only then did Erek's arm fall. Even from their distance, Aro could see his chest heaving for breath.

"Aro, the others!" Crona warned urgently, "They heard the shot! They're moving in!"

Aro could see them just as well. The other Gorgons, eight of them, were weaving around the pillars, moving in on Erek's corner. Sharks closing in on their bloodied and terrified prey.

Worse was Erek. Aro could see the exact moment he realized his mistake in killing the Gorgon. He could see it in the way he Awoken's hand went to his chest and clutched at the bit of cloth on the armor, as if his heart was trying to jump out and he was barely keeping it in. In the way his heaving became even harder. The way he was too terrified to even turn around and look his death in the eye.

A bright light washed over him from behind, casting a long shadow. Then another. A third. A fourth. A cacophony of Vex screams filled the maze. Erek shut his eyes, tears squeezing out and down from them.

Erek's shaking hands went up and clutched his head. The Hunter choked out a terrified sob as the Gorgons' light became blindingly intense.

* * *

 _So the Curse of Osiris dlc was alright. I'm enjoying it but I'm a shameless Destiny fanboy so I'm biased. I wish we could've spent more time with Osiris, I'd like to know more about him._

 _He does have a role in this story. It's both part of the central plot and at the same time different. It becomes more apparent in the last three books. He does have sort of a connection to Aro as well as Pride and a certain other Guardian._

 _But you're not going to read about it in this book. Or the next._


	50. VOG V: The Gorgons' Gaze

_Vault of Glass Part V:_

 _The Gorgons' Gaze_

* * *

Everything happened so slowly.

The Gorgon's roar became deafening.

It's light blocked out the world.

Then a bright orange Nova Bomb slowly and quietly slid into view. Erek could hear his heart beating in his head as the sphere of Light softly caressed the Gorgon's shell.

Then everything sped up again.

The Supernova Bomb slammed into the giant Harpy and shot past, carrying the Vex with it. Erek gaped, blinking twice to readjust his vision. Then the thunderous explosion brought the world crashing back on him.

A large hand grabbed at his cloak and yanked him to his feet. Daniel shoved him forward. "Erek, move! Now!"

Before he could so much as throw one foot before the other, he heard Aro, and it could only be Aro, roar. From above their heads, a lance of flame shot down into the maze and seemed to set the entire world on fire. Crona and Kayla were attacking the Gorgons, firing and stopping only to throw away the empty clip and reload. Anything to keep the Gorgons away from Erek and Daniel's position.

The time for silence and quiet and stealth was over. Erek and Daniel kept a sprinting pace, weaving through the pillars of the maze as Aro filled it with fire. The brilliant flames, the Vex roars, Daniel firing Suros Regime at whatever monster was on their heels, even his own breathing; the sounds, the chaos, they were all becoming too much. Never before more than now has he wanted to shut down and he honestly didn't care if he did. As long as he could keep moving.

A wave of Aro's fire smashed through the base of a pillar directly in front of them. On instinct, Daniel grabbed Erek's shoulder and Erek Blinked them out of under the falling tower of stone with such force and lack of concentration that they were both sent skidding across the ground. Erek wasted no time getting to his feet, limping for the few seconds it took Eren to repair his twisted ankle.

Kayla was growing frustrated at their ability to do so little from above. She attached her gun to her back and willed herself into a state of Radiance. Aro was still going, still spewing fire like the dragon Variks described him as. She willed her power into him, slow and steady.

The effect was profound. Aro's closed eyes blew open and the stream of fire blasted out bigger and so forcefully that he strained to keep his neck stable as his head involuntarily flew backwards.

The flames below exploded in size. Over Aro's roar, she could hear the Vex being blown apart within the brilliant firestorm she and Aro created.

Aro's jaw suddenly snapped shut and he dropped to his knees, coughing and clutching his throat. A soft gurgling could be heard over the comms. "Kain, what's wrong with him?" Crona demanded.

Aro's answer was to suddenly spit up a copious amount of dark blood over the side of the ledge. "Third degree burns on the inside of his throat and choking on his own blood," Kain answered frantically, "The pain is debilitating; he needs to stop. I have to heal him."

"Then I hope this works," Kayla murmured, disappointed but not yet out of ideas. She closed her eyes and stuck her open palm over the maze. She focused on the bits and strands of her own Light within the ocean of Aro's, pulling and pushing the pieces together.

Crona started shooting again, "Kayla, there's one on top of them!"

Then she opened her eyes, her eyes shining with the full power of the Radiant Light. She latched onto the Light within Aro's fire and _pulled_.

A tendril of flame shot from the lingering waves and lanced out towards the Gorgon nearest Daniel and Erek, smashing it to pieces right above their heads.

Despite herself, Kayla laughed. She threw her arm to the left and the fire followed. She threw her arms right and it moved the same. Upwards and the pillars of fire shot up from ground. Downward and the pillars fell hard. When she gave a command, the fire moved to obey, No matter where she directed, the flames followed and where they went, they wiped out anything in its way.

"Kayla, we've got Gorgon incoming!" Crona yelled as she started shooting ahead of them. Before her mind even registered the Vex, Kayla instinctively called the flames towards them. The half destroyed Harpy was racing towards their position, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. Aro had just managed to force himself to his feet and bring his gun up. His and Crona's bullets were just bouncing off its brass chassis and her fire wouldn't get to their position in time.

The Gorgon stopped and opened immediately, bright white light of its gaze blinding them and forcing Kayla's eyes closed.

The light suddenly disappeared and the sound of sundered metal echoed across the maze. The Gorgon split into two cracked pieces and an electric blue wheel of Light shot forward towards them.

The Arc Light buzzsaw slowed and Erek fell tumbling towards them, Daniel on his heels. The Hunter hit the ground, rolled and came to a skidding stop.

Kayla dropped her arms and released her control of the flames below and it showed by how it resumed its natural, erratic movement. Meeting Aro there, she grabbed Erek's arm and helped pull the weary man to his feet.

"Another Gorgon!" Aro warned. There were only a few left and they all knew where the Guardians were now. Like before, one was closing in on them; battered but the loss of its top wing seemed to do nothing to slow it down.

In his arms, Erek suddenly twisted around with enough force to almost topple Aro over. A large, dark blue rocket launcher appeared over his shoulder, already brought up to eye level.

The Gorgon stopped and opened, bright light once again filling their eyes.

Erek pulled the trigger and the missile crossed the space between them and the Gorgon within a second.

Aro remembered the charges.

The Gorgon disappeared in a flash of red and reappear even closer, its eye still shining white.

Erek's missile flew towards the far back wall but then suddenly curved, circling around one of the still standing stone pillars and placing itself directly in the Gorgon's path.

The payload slammed into the Vex, knocking it forward. The machine wobbled, as if dazed and suddenly slipped out of the air, falling backwards.

This was their last chance.

"The charges!" Aro bellowed, "Release! Release now!"

First, quiet. Then the more distant explosions rang out first in a blast of dim light and echoing sound. Then they crawled closer and closer until explosions were going off right over their heads as all five Guardians released their hold on the charges or detonated them manually. All of them started for the distant exit of the maze, running and throwing forward to avoid the pieces as the sky literally fell down on their heads.

Aro's prediction had panned out. The stone pillars dotting the maze began to blast apart and collapse. Chunks of rock were blown out of the wall and ceiling, pieces becoming progressively larger.

An explosion mere feet from Aro's head blew off, sending the Warlock flying off to the side. The world spinning, Aro half scrambled and was half lifted to his feet. Daniel helped him up and shoved him forward in an attempt to push him closer to the rest of the group and forced himself to run even faster than he believed his heavy frame would even allow.

A massive boulder as wide as the pillars were tall dropped right in front of the Kayla, forcing the Exo back. Erek threw himself backwards, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

"Blink!" Daniel yelled, "Aro, Blink!" He pushed everything into one final charge and rammed himself into Aro's back. His chest made contact and he heard Aro grunt from the impact but before they could both hit the ground, the entire world shifted. Aro Blinked them both into the midst of the others ahead. Daniel pushed both his arms and his Light outward.

A massive chunk of stone smashed into Daniel's Ward and broke apart. More and more fell against the solidified dome of Void Light, each and everyone an assault on Daniel's concentration. Still he held. He held until the explosions stopped. He held until the sound of what felt like building collapsing ceased. He held until they were completely shrouded in darkness and the only sounds were the ringing in his ears, the hum of the Ward and his team's ragged breathing.

"Is everyone alright?" He muttered, rolling off of Aro's body, sandwiched between him and the stone ground. Multiple tired groans came as the response. He chuckled.

"Aro?" He didn't answer, still struggling to his knees. He jumped when Daniel called him again. "Sorry!" Kain belted out loud. Aro's Ghost appeared, spread open as a bubble of light, illuminating the darkness. "That blast took out his ears. I just finished fixing them but I had to tell him to Blink forward when you hit him."

Daniel put a hand out and helped Aro to his feet. The Warlock leaned on him sightly. "Erek?" Aro called. The man was facing away from them. He just barely turned his head when he was called. "Are you-"

"No," he viciously cut Aro's question short, "No, I'm fucking not."

Kayla started to walk over to him when he shot to his feet and stuck a finger out at her. "No," he said again.

Kayla drew back as if she had been struck. "Erek?"

"Just…no! Stay over there!" He sank back to the ground, knees sliding up to his chest. They could hear his ragged and quickening gulps of air over the comms "Nobody touch me. Just…"

The Hunter was shaking like a leaf, rocking back and forth on the ground mumbling to himself. Aro watched him and found himself nearly overwhelmed with guilt and shame. It was his idea that paced Erek right in the Gorgon's path.

His plan worked, yes, but what did it nearly cost? A friend. A brother in this little makeshift family he had to scrounge together after being brought forth into the world with nothing and almost no one.

There are only so many close calls one can suffer before it all becomes too much, Aro thought. There are only so many close calls one can push through before it inevitably crosses the line.

And he brought him here. He brought them all here.

Talking wouldn't help and Erek did not want to be touched. So Aro softly asked Daniel how long he could comfortably hold the dome. Satisfied with the answer he was given, he slowly sat back down on the ground. Aro crossed his legs and and started tracing his finger on the ground. Kayla, Crona and Daniel took the hint and did the same. They would give him to time he needed.

Ten minutes of silence and random fidgeting passed before Erek cleared his throat and asked in a weak voice, "Do we have a way out?"

Aro's head slowly lifted, neck stinging slightly. "Are you ready?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He sniffed as if he had been crying. Aro's heart fell to pieces. "Do we?"

"The way out should still be directly in front of us," Kayla answered barely above a whisper, walking in the direction they had been running. She placed her hand against the Ward, "Not sure how much rubble is between us and the exit though. I'm not even sure if all this," she waved at their surroundings, "will stay in place when Daniel drops the Ward."

Kain, still out from Aro, flew up to the top of the dome and a cone of light shone from his eye, scanning the rocks above. "They won't. We're completely buried," he confirmed.

"I can create a tunnel," Crona suggested, rising to her feet. I can blast my way straight through the second Daniel drops the shield."

"We can Blink through after you," Kayla said, "Keep on your heels."

Aro felt a heavy hand land on him. "Whenever you're ready, Crona," Daniel said, squeezing Aro's shoulder.

Crona raised her arm in front of her, willing the Aegis to appear before her. Then she crouched down, one leg behind her poised to push her off. The air crackled with static and increased in intensity.

"Go." She shot off on Aro's signal and Daniel dropped the Ward. Without even waiting for the sound of Crona hitting the rocks and with Daniel on his back, Aro Blinked forward. Then again and again, teleporting around falling boulders as Crona's tunnel collapsed around them.

Aro felt a blast of wind as Crona finally breached the opening out of the maze. Exhausted, Aro pushed himself forward once more before coming to a tumbling halt. The crashing stopped seconds after, the tunnel done collapsing and the maze finally sealed behind them.

The memories would stay with them though. Despite his lingering fear, despite his exhaustion, Aro genuinely believed they were all stronger than that; too strong to not brush off intrusive thoughts of those monsters and push on.

But then Aro thought of Wrath(K) and what this stone and metal hellscape turned him into. He watched Erek, already on his feet, staring at the collapsed tunnel.

There really were only so many close calls one could uffer before it all became just too much.


	51. VOG VI: Do Not Falter

_Blessed are those who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter_

* * *

 _Vault of Glass Part VI_

 _Do Not Falter_

If this was any other time, Erek would've already made several idiotic jokes about time and space repeating itself within the Vault. The others probably would've laughed too, either from actual funniness or amusement at its stupidity and lightheartedness.

Either way, the joke would not have been a lie. Here they were once again, in the dark, surrounding a woodless fire, maintained by an Aro who looked as if he could vomit from exhaustion, contemplating their very narrow escape from a fate worse than death.

In the light of the Gorgon, Uldren flashed before his eyes; Mara did too, of course but Uldren was the surprise. After years of tell himself that he hated them and even almost convincing himself, that spoiled brat was still one of his final thoughts. It was a memory Erek wasn't sure he would recall normally. Erek had managed to sneak the three of them out of the palace, even procured terrible but effective disguises for all of them. The way their faces lit up at the nightlife. The purple Uldren turned the first time a woman so brazenly flirted with him.

Laughter bubbled in his throat. By the Traveler, he missed them. Even now, he didn't regret leaving the Reef. Nor could he bring himself to suddenly easily forgive their lack of support all those years ago. But his one regret was the effect his exile had on them.

Why did it take so much for him to finally admit it?

He straightened his leg, hoping to loosen the tightness. Then he asked, "What's the first thing you guys are going to do when we get home?"

There were quiet, subtle reactions to the sudden sound of his voice. The small hitch in Daniel's breathing, the twitch in Kayla's shoulders.

"First thing I'm gonna do when I get home?" Crona repeated, falling back against the stone wall, "Take a very long bath. They aren't charging us for water right? I'm not going to see find a piece of paper several feet long attached to my door?"

Erek snickered at that. "This is, of course, after the Vanguard gets done with us," she added. Then she sighed, "You think they know?"

"Fourteen Guardians suddenly disappearing?" Kayla asked, raising a hand over the flames, "I'd be surprised if they didn't."

Fourteen. The others were brought to mind. The last they had seen of the others was them facing down the deadly and terrible Heralds; big damn heroes, the lot of them, Erek remembered thinking and feeling a glimmer of hope and even pride.

Then Aro told them of the faceless figure cloaked in black. He couldn't even see the person's face but their presence had such a profound effect on him that he could only guess one person. Erek then remembered wanting to be sick, right then and there.

"I'm surprised they never figured us out," Daniel said, throwing specks of rock too tiny and fragile to be called pebbles into Aro's fire. Aro's head twisted to look at him. The Titan just shrugged. "I mean Cayde is an expert liar and Ikora is…Ikora," he explained, "They should've figured us out like it was nothing. But they didn't."

"The Speaker did," Crona interjected suddenly. Only Aro's head didn't swivel towards her in surprise, gaze remaining on the fire. "The way he acted," she continued, "It was like he knew and was trying to get us to admit it."

"But then he let us go," Aro said, "He never told the Vanguard either. He knew we were coming in here and he let us go."

"…Why?!" Kayla practically gasped, "Why did he not try to stop us?"

"His behavior stood out to me like a person being spoken to," Crona's Ghost explained, "But no one else was in the room with us."

"His Ghost maybe?" Erek asked, "Or…someone else?"

"Someone told him to let us go? Who has that kind of sway over him?" Aro asked. The fire lowered slightly as his concentration turned elsewhere.

Daniel kept throwing rocks into the fire. "Does it matter? We're here."

"But if Sol is right then…then somebody wanted us in here."

Daniel chuckled in disbelief, "Well…shit." He leaned back, putting more of his weight on Aro, "Why do I feel like we've stumbled into something big?"

"Bigger than the Heralds?" Kayla asked.

"Smaller than the Heralds and much closer to home."

"Then we'll get through it," Aro cut in, "Just like we'll get through this. And everything else."

He moved his hand over Daniel's, whose fingers interlocked with his. "The Dawn will Come and all that."

Kayla laughed out loud, "I remember that."

"Ugh, so do I." Erek let out a fake shudder, "I remember Daniel's drunk asstrying to sing it."

"Hey! I'm not that bad." Fake outrage laced with laughter.

"You have a deep voice, that's good but other than that…"

"Hey, hi, hello?" Crona waved her hands to get everyone's attention, "What are you people talking about?"

"A while back before," Daniel waved his hand in the air, "All this crap, Toland researched pre-Golden Age things, namely video games."

Crona scoffed, "Games? You aren't serious."

"I am! He found this really old role playing one. He got it working, he heard the song and…it really resonated with him. That things can always get better."

"Ah." Crona gave an exaggerated nodded, "Aro could probably sing it."

"He has actually," Daniel said, laughing when Aro jostled him.

"Oh but Shaxx!" Crona sighed, "When I tell you the man sings like an angel."

"But the match isn't over until Shaxx sings," Erek recited, "AND HE NEVER SINGS!"

Aro burst out in laughter, the fire jumping with the suddenness of it.

"No, no, you can't take Shaxx's word for it," Crona said, "You've got to take it from Lord Saladin." She cleared her throat and deepened her voice. 'The match isn't over until Shaxx sings. And he's _very_ shy.'"

Erek fell over onto Kayla, practically howling.

"He really believed in the message of it," Daniel said, once he had calmed down himself. He threw his last stone into Aro's fire, "Then…all this happened to him."

"He was happy, you know. When he finally passed," Aro said, "Told me he believed in me. In us."

Daniel laughed softly, "You know, before, I wouldn't have given a damn how he died," he said, "But now…now I'm glad to hear it."

"Erek, how do you feel?" Aro asked. There was an air of finality about him. It was time to go.

Erek rose to his feet, shook out his cloak and stretched. "Like Crona needs a bath." A rock pelted his helmet. "And like sleeping. In a bed. With Asura being irritating in the next room.

Aro stood. Then one by one, the others stood after him. The fire slowly started to die down.

Crona brought up her wrist. "Ghost, you still with us? We're going to find Wrath now."

"I'm here," she said. Her voice was still as weak as when they found her but as sure as it has ever been, "And I'm ready. I understand what needs to be done. Kabr…Wrath…he needs to be stopped. For the good of everyone."

"And himself," Crona finished.

"And himself."

"You hear that? We're ready." Erek clapped a warm hand on Aro's shoulder. "On your orders, boss."

Aro let out a long breath. It really was almost over. He was scared. For Asura, for himself, for all the others. The final and most terrible monstrosity of the Vault lay ahead and once again, he would walk them to it.

And one more time, he's walk them away from it. They'd beat this. If it's the last thing he ever does and even if the Vex ensured that he would never be remembered for it, they would see the dawn again.

All of them.

"Crona. Take point. The rest, we watch her back." He drew Hawkmoon from his back. "Let's move out."

* * *

"Damn it!" Wrath(A) fell to the ground with a loud clatter. His body was practically smoking. He shakily got to his feet before falling back down. He punched the ground hard, "Damn it!" He screamed again.

"That's enough." Wrath(K) announced rolling his shoulders.

"No!" The smaller Exo roared, "We can't stop!"

"I've decided."

"Can't you feel it?!" Wrath(A) weakly got into sitting position and fell back against one of the pillars. "They're coming. They're coming!"

"Of course I do," Wrath(K) crosses his arms. "I could feel it. When they killed the Templar and the Gorgons. They'll be here soon."

"So we can't stop!" He cried, "I can't still be this! I need to be me!"

"You need to rest," Wrath(K) ordered with an tone that left no room for further questioning, "And prepare yourself."

Wrath(A) huffed loudly and started to rock back and forth. The same images. The blood, the blinding smoke. But every time, the pain worsened. He was _sick_ of this shit.

And when the screaming, burning pain of the memories finally went away, all he could hear after was Asura laughing at him. He felt all Wrath(A) felt, saw everything he did and still he found it in himself to laugh at his misery.

" _I'm surprised with you, Wrath(A)_ ," he said through his laughter, " _You show so much talent and intelligence in fights but you still haven't figured it out yet."_

" _Figured what out?"_ He snapped back.

" _It hurts_. _Your actions. The idea that you could be capable of such monstrosities. It's how I've felt ever since Diana told me._ " Asura explained it like he was talking to a child. " _You're not as heartless as I thought. Or as you like to tell yourself."_

" _I did not care back then. Why the FUCK would I care now?! WHY?!"_

" _That's not rhetorical, is it? You're really asking me?_ " Asura asked, laughing softly. " _Fine. I can tell you. Honestly, I'm happy to. I've had a lot of time to think about it."_

The world went still and suddenly fell away. Wrath(A) was standing now, the universe around him a never ending black.

" _It's funny honestly,"_ Asura's voice echoed in the ether. Wrath(A) saw another version of him materialize before his eyes, sitting down, cross legged like he was. The green Exo stood, rolled his shoulders and then opened his eyes. Warm pink stared into Wrath(A)'s cold red. _"Everything you've done to try and separate us has only brought us closer together. Keep it up, we might become one person again. I wouldn't mind normally but after everything you've done, the thought of having to be even closer to you makes me sick."_

Wrath(A)'s hands balled and shook.

" _I told you they would come, didn't I?_ " Asura asked, " _Five Guardians risked death and worse for me, a Hunter, an Exo, a machine."_ He clasped his hands behind his back, pacing around. There was a bounce in his step as if everything that had happened never did. " _You were wrong. As stupid as an idea it was, they're here. For me, Wrath(A)._ " Asura laughed again, " _For us. They care about me, they love me enough to put up with an asshole like you. And the thought stings doesn't it? You entire reason for coming here was survival. You refuse to die, much less for people who 'hate' you or those like you. And it's a problem how we're treated, of course, but there are people out there who care about me. And I care enough about them to weather whatever the world throws at me."_

" _Do you plan on making a point?"_

" _My point is_ …" He paused. Dramatic effect him and his idiot friends called it. " _You feel guilty."_

" _Guilty?"_ Wrath(A) asked only once before he broke out in raucous laughter, " _Guilty?! That-that's your conclusion?!"_ He howled.

" _It is._ " Asura remained completely calm. " _Because every time I mention Aro or Crona, it stings. I can feel it. In here."_ He put his hand to his chest. " _That's the guilt, Wrath. You think of them and what they are putting themselves through just to find me and you wish you could've experienced something like it. Just once."_

" _But to be honest, I think you did,"_ he continued, " _It may have been something small and forgettable but I'm sure you did. Maybe it was the Darkness that drove you to forget but now when you look at the blood and bodies of the dead young in that base, now that the Darkness no longer clouds your mind like it did before, you feel the horror as I would. As Diana did. You were angry, you were hurt and you deserved justice for your hurt. But you knew this wasn't the way."_

" _They deserves everything they got!"_

" _No they did not! No one does!_ " Asura argued back, " _You took your pain and hurt out on everyone, regardless of how each person treated you. Flesh and blood or metal and circuits, in your eyes, everyone deserved to suffer because you had. And that is never right."_

Asura slowly walked closer and closer to Wrath(A), footsteps echoing in their shared mind. " _I refuse to let my pain be the only thing that drives me like you have. I refuse to spend the rest of my life miserable and lonely, using the pain inflicted on me as an excuse to hurt people like you did!" He_ was in Wrath(A)'s face now, foreheads nearly bumping together. " _I came into this world with nothing and no one but my Ghost. I found a family. And now, they'll find me. They'll find us. They will beat you. And I will go home, no matter what."_

Wrath(A) grabbed Asura by the shirt and pulled him forward, " _They'll find us, alright. And when they do, Asura, you are going to beg. Beg as I open Crona's throat and push her into the nothingness under our feet. Beg as I cut off Daniel's and Erek's heads and deliver them to their families. Beg as I gouge out the lights of Kayla's eyes. Beg as I deliver Aro to Pride! Beg as crush your Ghost to pieces with my bare hands!"_ He was screaming now. " _And I'm going to enjoy every second of your begging as I do it anyway."_

He shoved Asura away. The Exo barely blinked as he swaggered back, a smug look in his eyes. He walked back to where he had been at the start and sat down again. _"We'll see_ ," was all he said.

The Vault reappeared and Wrath(A) blinked several times to readjust. Little time had passed but Wrath(K) was staring at him now.

Wrath(A) pulled his hood further over his head and hunched in on himself. "Yes," he said aloud to himself, "We will."


	52. VOG VII: Wrath, Time's Conflux

_Vault of Glass Part VII_

 _Wrath, Time's Conflux  
_

* * *

"This must be a joke."

"If so, it's a funny one."

"No, it's not."

"It will be when I push you. I thought you were the one with the sense of humor."

"No, it won't! And no, you won't! And yes, I am!"

Kayla and Erek continued back and forth; Kayla threatening to kick a tired Erek off the edge and him all but threatening back. It came mostly as mumbling to Aro, too occupied with the sight before them to focus on the bickering.

Below their feet was an abyss in every possible sense of the word. Massive and unfathomable, Aro couldn't even hear the soft whirring of machinery that he had been hearing since they entered the Vault. There was nothing there.

On the other side was the wall of what seemed like a giant tower, rising unendingly into the sky. Aro hadn't the slightest idea where it might lead them but he figured that it didn't matter; it was forward so it was their destination.

It was how to get forward that had the two talking. Crona had been at the front, as Aro had ordered. A long walk through a narrow tunnel ended with an opening to the abyss. Then some sort of floating platform had appeared right before her, startling her enough into shooting it. Just as it had appeared, the platform faded away. Below it and further down into the abyss, another appeared and then disappeared seconds later. Further down, towards a particularly better lit spot on the opposite wall, the same thing was occurring over and over again.

Those platforms were their only way forward and it relied entirely on guesswork. So Aro could understand Erek's frustrations; this must've been a joke.

But it was kind of funny.

"It's obvious that we need to use them to cross." Daniel's voice drew Aro's attention away from the abyss. The Titan had his arms crossed and he looked deep in thought behind his helmet, "But…is anyone else seeing a pattern here? Because I'm not."

"Neither do I," Caesar chirped into their ears. "If we had a better view maybe but for now nothing. I did notice one thing though."

Aro squat down near the edge, peering over. "We're listening."

"There's nothing in this area obstructing our ability to resurrect you or even transmat you," Daniel's Ghost explained, "If you fall, we can just bring oh back to safety."

"Can't you teleport us to the other side then?" Erek asked, pointing at the far wall.

"That's why I specified 'this area'. There's something over there. Transmat is blocked and resurrection is restricted. Something Dark."

"I'm surprised you all can't feel it. Especially the Warlocks." Kain said. Aro stilled himself, closed his eyes and focused. He didn't need to focus long; the feeling hit him like a truck. The Darkness, that familiar thumb on the back of his neck or a weight attached to his feet and dragging him down so far into an imaginary body of water, he had to remind himself to breath. It came out as a shudder, "That's…"

"Wow," Kayla murmured.

"What she said. It's like some kind of wall or a field of the Darkness." Aro rose up, "I'll be honest I haven't thought much about the Darkness since we got in the Vault. Too busy worrying about the monsters in here to concern myself with the big metaphysical one outside. This is the first I've sensed it."

"And there's only really one capable of producing it," Kayla finished. The answer didn't need to be said.

Erek sighed. "So...crossing it. How?"

Aro rose up, ignoring the tightness in his legs. He opened his mouth to answer when Crona's hand suddenly came up to his shoulder. "First," she said, "I want to try something."

"Yes?"

"This abyss, this entire place isn't just some unending hole. The dimensions are constantly shifting." she stepped slightly closer to the edge and leaned over to look down, "If we do fall, how far could we get before we're not….you know... _here_ anymore?"

"You want to find out, I'm guessing. How exactly?"

Crona turned her gaze from the abyss to him. Aro's eyebrows shot up. "You're joking."

"Care to let us in on it?" Erek called from behind them, having moved further from the edge than the rest of them.

"She wants to jump and see if she ends up in a completely different reality."

"Ah….that's not funny either."

"But she has a point." Crona brought her wrist up when Ghost started to speak. "Your Ghosts should be able to detect the approaching shift in reality before you enter it and bring you back here." The little drone had been speaking less and less the closer they got to their destination. Aro guessed she had known they were approaching the end of their journey. It's where the last strands of the connection between her and her Guardian had finally been severed. It was where she had felt him die. It was where she would see him again it was where she'd have to help kill him or be killed by him.

"I'll do it then," Aro said, already stepping forward. He felt Daniel's hand wrap tightly around his bicep before loosening almost immediately, telling Aro that it was only out of instinct. It remained in place, however.

Crona stepped towards him, "Aro, I can do it. Really, it's no-"

Aro cut her off, "You've got Ghost. I'd rather we do nothing to risk her."

Crona silently nodded and stepped back. Little by little, Daniel's hand loosened until it finally slipped away. Aro took one tentative step towards the edge and stared down into the cloudy, unending nothing.

" _Kain?"_

" _Ready when you are."_

Aro tipped forward.

At first, Aro could easily tell he was falling. He saw the tiny amount of light that illuminated the area fall away. He had heard an almost imperceptible rush of wind. His stomach had decided it would stay behind with the others where it was safe.

But after a certain point, he began to question. Even though he _knew_ he was falling further and further, the world around him was so static and unchanging.

But when he ignored the twisting in his stomach and focused on the fall, on the freedom and weightlessness of it, exhilaration brought itself to the surface. He smiled and a small laugh escaped him as he twisted his body round and round. He almost wished he could take off his helmet, hear the wind and feel it whipping past his face.

When had he last felt like this? When had he ever? Before he died? Before he ruined the world and caused... _everything_?

The thought shot through his chest like a bullet. " _Kain. Take us back."_

The abyss disappeared. In the span of a blink, solid ground was under his feet again.

"Aro? Aro!" He jumped slightly at his name and twisted around to see the others staring. "Sorry, I'm sorry."

Kayla extended an arm and helped him stand. "How long were you falling?" She asked.

"A…" Aro searched his memory but all that came forward was the feeling of the fall. He started to laugh, "A while. A-goddamn-while."

"About twenty seconds," Kain chimed in, "We were nowhere near any change in scenery."

"Yeah." Aro let out a long breath, "We're good, Crona."

"Are you?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"I will be." He squeezed the back of his neck and twisted his head, trying and failing to relax. "Let's get started."

* * *

With a yell, Daniel jumped off the platform, straining as much as he could to lift himself through the air and towards the ledge on the wall where the others were.

Right before he could position himself over their heads, he felt the lift give out and the gravity or whatever force anchoring them to solid ground retake it's hold. By the sound of it, Daniel could hear the platform behind him shimmer out of existence, leaving nothing between him and the abyss under him. He plummeted, falling past the ledge with a yell. His armored fingers scrambling for purchase on the stone and failing to acquire it. In the span of that half second, a thin arm grabbed onto his wrist. Erek groaned at the strain of his weight. Having literally thrown himself over the edge, he had one hand gripping the ledge and the other on Daniel, dangling above the abyss.

"We're not doing this again," The Hunter laughed through the strain, making light of the fact that this was the third time Daniel has had to make the cross. Daniel let out a small snort of amusement. Amusement that quickly disappeared when Erek groaned again and flecks of stone and dust bounced off Daniel's helmet. "Any time now!" Erek groaned loudly.

Crona appeared on the ledge and wrapped both hands around Erek's wrist. She heaved, Kayla's and Aro's hands on her shoulders and waist and pulling on her as well. When they had gotten high enough, Kayla let go of Crona to grab under Daniel's arms, finally bringing him onto the ledge.

The ledge projecting from the wall was wide enough to walk long to the opening comfortably but narrow enough so that the edge and the abyss past it remained in their minds, like the Vault was taunting them. One by one and in single file, they walked the path. They could all feel the Darkness pressing down on them now and it felt like eyes on the back of their necks. Aro could tell Crona, Erek and Daniel were having trouble blocking it out, having not been trained in doing so as he and Kayla had been. Erek had his knife squeezed tightly in his free hand, Crona kept rolling her shoulders and shaking her arms out and Daniel was making little sounds on the radio, small grunts of discomfort. They would adjust eventually. They needed to.

The walk between the opening and their destination was short and did not prepare them for what they saw. The room looked like nearly any other in the Vault, platforms floating in the nothingness, an all encompassing abyss surrounding them.

What set it this area apart and gave it it's feeling of finality, were the enormous shimmering crystal spires in the back. Two sets, converging together to form a glass pyramid.

Aro loosened his grip on his gun and just stared. More amazing than the sight was that it meant. They had made it; the end of the Vault. Everything they had been through, everything they had suffered would be worth it soon.

A vice grip suddenly latched onto Aro's bicep, causing him to grunt out with surprise and slight pain.

Crona's hand just got tighter. When he turned to look at her, she never moved to look back.

Aro followed her entranced gaze. Hawkmoon nearly slipped from his fingers.

There he was. Slim and lean, cloak nearly trailing along the ground and standing on a ledge above them, close to the pyramid.

Hood off and down around his shoulders, giving them a complete view of his face and his horrible red eyes.

"I told you not to follow me." Wrath(A)'s voice boomed into the surrounding nothingness. Aro opened his mouth but nothing came. He wanted to say something, _anything_. But he couldn't. "I told you to leave me alone." He let out a sound reminiscent of a choke gasp, "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

His shoulders started to raise and lower rapidly. His hands balled into fists, opened and closed again.

The Exo looked so... _unhinged_. _Distraught._ As if he was the victim here. As if he wasn't the cause of their pain and suffering.

"Did you _really_ think we would listen?" Four heads spun in his direction. Even Aro was surprised at the abject _anger_ and _malice_ in his voice. He could not bring himself to care. Wrath(A)'s eyes narrowed; such a hateful look and such a loved face, Aro didn't want to care.

He wanted to kill.

"Did you really think we wouldn't track you down?" Aro asked, taking a few steps forward. "Did you really think you could just run off after what you did?! _ANSWER ME!_ "

Aro's roar rang out in the nothingness. Wrath(A)'s narrowed eyes widened in disbelief at his tone.

"This game of cat and mouse ends now, Wrath," Aro spat his name like poison. He pointed his weapon directly at him. "You will surrender. You will hand control of _Asura's_ body back to him and you will come with us or I swear by the Traveler, I will make you!"

Wrath(A) had a knife in his hand before anyone realized what had happened. With a scream, he launched himself of his rise and at Aro.

His blade hit Crona's Aegis, having moved between the two in the last half second. She threw her arm and the glittering shield outward, parrying Wrath(A)'s knife away. Before Wrath(A) could recover. Then she dropped to one knee and from behind her, Aro force pushed him away.

The blast sent him rolling far. He sprung off the ground and back into standing to find the barrels of five guns pointing directly at him. A red dot appeared on his forehead, emanating from Aro's silver hand cannon. "I won't tell you again. Stand down." Aro could hear the metallic _grind_ of the Exo's squeezing, shaking hands.

A deep, rumbling voice froze everyone in their tracks. "Such tone. I thought you were raised better than such rudeness." Wrath(K) walked forward out of the pyramid, each echoing footstep a thunderclap. He stopped at the edge of the rise but did not step off, remaining high over their heads.

Aro turned his weapon on him, "We're leaving with him, Wrath."

He shrugged those mountains he called shoulders. "If Wrath wants to leave with you, he's fully welcome to. Ah, but therein lies the problem, doesn't it? Wrath does not want to go with you. He does not want to be a prisoner in his own body as he had been since he woke up. Will you make him?"

"And Asura?" Crona demanded, "What of him?"

"Your friend will be dealt with." Wrath(K) waved away her question, turned and started walking back towards the center of the pyramid.

Aro readjusted his grip, "What are you saying?"

"Exactly what I mean," Wrath(K) wasn't even looking at them now, making his lack of interest in their presence or impression with their deeds known. He's always known they were coming and everything they did, he did first and he did it alone. "Asura and Spirit are both holding him back. He's decided he wants to work with Pride, just as I had. And he made that decision for himself."

"Pride wants to destroy the world," Daniel said, "How can you work with him?"

"I know things aren't great for people like us but, Wrath," Kayla said the name and it was both of them that turned to her, "This isn't the way."

Wrath(K)'s eyes narrowed, the first sign of emotion they had seen from him since Venus. "Do not concern yourselves with what I believe in or my motivations. Worry more about yourselves."

The Titan started to walk back towards them again. "Time and time again, we have warned you. Keep out of our affairs," he said, "Time and time again you have ignored us. And for what? You can't stop Pride. You can't stop what is coming. No one _ever_ has."

One of the platforms floating behind them suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a new one, the same except for the empty Vex gate at its center. It slowly floated closer until it was resting on their own platform. It burst to life with a loud bang, drawing all five of their eyes away towards it.

Wrath(K) charged. The wake of his lift off left a crack where his feet had previously been. Aro spun around just in time to see him slam into the ground before their feet. The Guardians went flying, Erek and Kayla going the farthest, skidding dangerously close to the edge.

Aro had just started to process what had happened when he heard the heavy footsteps. He sprung up and threw his heated palm out blindly. Quicker than the eye could see, Wrath(K) knocked his arm away hard enough to knock the bone in his shoulder from its socket.

Aro fell back with a cry. Wrath(K) continued to stalk towards him and despite his earlier defiance, Aro felt afraid. He had never seen the Exo up close before and the height and width of him was something to either behold or cower before.

Wrath(K)'s hand wrapped almost completely around Aro's neck. He hauled him up with one arm and Aro choked as his feet dangled off the ground.

Wrath(K) brought his close, red eyes blinding him. "You cannot stop us. You could've stayed on Earth. Enjoyed yourselves before the inevitable," he said. He turned his head to look at the others, who were still struggling to get their bearings. "Now they have to die here and you won't be able to go home to tell their families what happened." He turned back to Aro and brought his face closer, "Lucky you."

Aro brought his hands up and attacked Wrath(K)'s face and head, superheated fists, slamming against the bronze.. Wrath(K) shrugged off his attempts and started to walk him back towards the portal. With every step, Aro's vision dimmed and his attempts to free himself grew more and more frantic.

The Titan held him out towards the portal and Aro could feel the pull of it on his back. "You'll wait here until I finish. Then I'll come and get you."

He tried to call the full extent of his Light forward, just like he had with Gluttony and the Overmind Minotaur and the Gorgons. His blurring sight tinged orange as he beckoned it forward. But Wrath(K) viciously headbutted him with a resounding _crack_. Through the pain and dizziness, felt the Herald's grip loosen.

Time slowed as Aro felt himself fall backwards. Every nerve on his back lit up as he touched the portal, the shock jarring enough to snap him out of his daze and latch onto the solid sides of the portal. Now he was feeling the entire pull on his body. The portal was trying to pull him in and it was all he could do to not be consumed.

Crona was the first of the others to get to her feet. She leapt high above Wrath(K)'s head and dropped downward with a yell. She hit empty ground, the impact almost shaking Aro's grip on the portal's metal edge loose. Wrath(K) tucked and rolled out of her way, leaping back up to his former platform.

"Crona!" Aro yelled. She turned her attention away from Wrath(K), grabbed his arm and strained to pull him out, half way inside the portal already. She moved one foot back, then another and another.

Three loud bangs filled the cavern. Gunshots. Aro recognized it instantly, squeezing his eyes shut on instinct.

Crona didn't move. She let out a shaky breath and noticed...there was no pain.

Kayla screamed Daniel's name.

The man toppled, jostling Crona. Paralyzed, Aro watched as Daniel fell backwards, three smoking bullet holes in his helmet.

Daniel's back hit the light of the portal and he disappeared though. Aro frantically reached out in time to grab him, causing Crona to lose her grip and him to fall further inside, too far to pull out now.

Crona scrambled for him, reaching for his fingers still barely holding on to the edges of the gate. Just before she could reach, Aro let go of the edge and threw his palm out, letting out a force push that sent her flying onto her back away from the gate.

His head went under and his arm disappeared too. The portal snapped close and a sharp, ringing silence filled the void. Crona's chest heaved with barely restrained horror and panic.

"If the theatrics are finished," Wrath(K) said coldly, "I'd like to get started." His body glowed a bright white and pillar of light suddenly shot up form under his feet into the sky above. A pulse wave of light knocked Crona forward onto her knees, too stunned by what had just occurred to stop herself.

"Daniel's interference was unexpected. But no matter." Wrath(K) yelled over the deafening roar of the energy surrounding him, "I'll handle all of you, first. Then I'll bring him back and finish him off and while Aro sits and watches."

Another pulsewave rang out. Then another. Then Wrath(K)'s pillar of light exploded.

Crona turned her head towards him. She felt her jaw go slack.

Wrath(K) was... _bigger_. The Exo had transformed to resemble a Vex Minotaur but larger than any she had ever seen in her life. His body looked as if it had been broken down and remade from pieces of the crystal spires that formed the pyramid. Crona could do nothing but look on in terror as the Herald's encroaching footsteps shook the entire Vault.

This was it. This was where it all ended.

Crona rose shakily to her feet, heart pounding against the walls of her chest and hot tears streaming down her eyes. Wrath(K) threw his metal head back and let out an ear splitting, world shaking roar before he raised his massive Torch Hammer at her paralyzed frame and fired.

* * *

 _I promise the whole "transform into a giant monster" won't be a thing with all seven. Anyway thanks for reading and I hope I got this down right._


	53. VOG VIII: Aegis of the Light

_Vault of Glass Part VIII_

 _Aegis of the Light_

* * *

There was no sound.

Explosions were rocking the world around her, all but shaking it apart but all Crona could hear was a faint ringing and the sound of her own ragged breathing.

Aro. Daniel. Gone. Really gone.

This wasn't real. It couldn't have been.

This was a bad dream. This whole thing was a bad dream. Any moment, Crona would wake up and all would be fine. She'd be in bed, no one would be dead and-

A Void energy blast landed at her feet. Crona felt herself lift off her feet and go flying backwards, slamming into one of the pillars. She groaned weakly as she slid to a sitting position on the ground.

This was real. Try as she might to deny it, to wish otherwise, this was real.

It was inevitable, she supposed. They knew what they risked coming in here and still they came.

She could still feel Aro's force push against her chest and Daniel's weight brushing her shoulder as he took three bullets for her without hesitation.

So like them to waste their last moments saving her life.

The same thing happened on the Moon. In the half second before Gluttony's massive arm could drop on top of them, Aro pushed her and Kayla out of harm's way. The fact that he came back after was nothing short of a miracle.

Lucky, Ikora had called it. They were lucky to leave the Moon in one piece, much less victorious.

They pushed that luck by coming in here and they were all paying for it now.

Still against the wall, Crona looked up to see purple light filling her vision, to the point of blindness. She felt her entire body go start to go slack.

Then something hit her from the side, hard and fast. It moved her out of the path of Wrath(K)'s attack, which smashed against the stone wall, toppling it over.

Erek rolled with her and shoved her forward, roaring commands and insults for her in tandem. It was pure instinct that had her running for the nearest cover from fire. She dropped down behind a wall, Erek sliding in after her.

"Crona." Erek's breathing was halting and ragged. Like before, after he came face to face with one of the Gorgons; the man was mere moments away from another panic attack. "Crona, what do we do? We-" He yelled when a blast hit too close, "Crona, we need to get out of here!"

Crona's voice came out as a croak. "How?" She let out shuddering breath, "The Vault's sealed. We can't leave. We can't…"

"What do you mean 'we can't'?! There has to be something, Crona, _anything_!"

"Damn it, there is nothing!" she screamed. She clutched her head in her hands. "There is nothing. There's…" she let out a weak sob, "All we can do…"

" _Crona,"_

Her Ghost. Another she's failed. " _Sol. I'm…I'm sorry. I-I tried. I-"_

" _So you're giving up? After everything?_ " The hurt in his voice shattered what was left of her heart.

" _Sol, there's nothing we can-"_

" _Crona, I don't want to die in here_ ," he said, " _Ever since I first met you, we've come so far. This cannot be where everything ends. We can't give up. We're stronger than this! You're stronger than this, you know that!"_

" _Sol, without Daniel or Aro-"_

" _We didn't come in here for Aro!"_ Her Ghost burst out angrily, overshadowing the explosions, " _We didn't come in here for him. He gave us chance after chance to drop out of this, no questions asked and each time you considered, you decided not to. And it was never for him."_

The Ghost's voice dropped down, barely above a whisper. _"If we have to die in here today, then so be it. But we haven't accomplished what we risked everything and came in here to do. That sunburst mark on your shoulder_." Crona clutched her left shoulder on instinct, " _It means we stand until the last man. We keep fighting until things become better. I'm not ready to give up, Crona. And I know for a fact that neither are you."_

His words rang within. Past the pain and the grief, they resonated deep.

"No," she gasped, barely realizing she was talking out loud now, "I'm not."

Crona suddenly slammed her fist on the ground, cracking the stone. "I did not lie to my father, my brother, my mother, my entire family for it to end here. I did not suffer the Templar and the Gorgons just to roll over and die!" She jumped to her feet, shoved Erek behind her and hastily threw up a Ward of Dawn, narrowly blocking Wrath(K)'s attack.

The Void dome cracked on impact. Erek ran up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and yanked backwards, Blinking out of the dome before the second attack could shatter it.

The force of the crash and Erek's momentum sent them rolling, both skidding to a stop. Crona groaned as she rolled onto her stomach and got to her feet again.

Kayla came running in from the side, leaping and gliding while Wrath(K)'s blasts slammed against the structures around her. She fell to the ground and rolled into cover with them.

"Do you both remember what we talked about? What we'll do when we get out of here?" Crona asked, her voice soft but unwaveringly strong.

One of the blasts hit close. Erek flinched. "I seem to recall you wanted a bath," he intoned. He sounded so tired.

"I'm not dying here." Crona peeked over their cover to see Wrath(K) taking slow, stomping steps closer. "If I'm to die, it won't be here. I'm going home. I'm going to have that bath and run up your sister's water bill. She'll have to charge me by the time I'm finished." Erek snorted out a laugh. Crona found herself doing the same.

"I'm going to go home. I'm gonna get yelled at by my father." Tears started to well in her eyes, "Then I'm going to hug him and tell him that I'm sorry but I had to do this. We had to." She let out a shuddering breath, "And we're not done. Not yet. Aro and Daniel or not, I'm going home with Asura and I dare even _Pride_ to stop me."

Wrath(K) appeared over them and brought one monstrous foot down on their heads. Crona threw her hand up and activated the Aegis, it's shimmering dome spreading out around them and stopping them from being utterly crushed.

"I'm going to go for Wrath(A)!" Crona announced through clenched teeth. The Exo had climbed to the top of one of the shorter pillars, coldly regarding the battle before him from above. "Can you two keep the big Wrath off me?"

"We'll be spread thin," Kayla pointed out, "Without Daniel…" her voice cracked, "Or Aro…"

"They brought us this far," Crona said, somber, "They'd want us to take it the rest of the way. For their sakes."

She turned to look back at the gate, mind far away now"What if I could reopen the gate? Get them back?"

The shield wavered. Crona just barely reestablished her concentration before Wrath(K) could break through. "Kayla, this isn't some Fallen comms tool or Golden Age tech, this is Vex! Vault of Glass Vex!"

"I'm a Warmind!"

"You said it yourself, we're spread thin as it is!" Wrath(K) slammed down on the barrier again. Crona fell to her knees, feeling a warm drop of fluid slither down from her nose, "Kayla, I know this is hard to accept but-"

"We didn't accept it when Asura was dragged in here!" Kayla burst out before seeming to remember herself. Her voice came out softer when she spoke again. "Look what we've been through. If there's a chance, Crona, _any_ chance, shouldn't we take it?"

Kayla was right. Crona was prepared, steeling herself to let them go that she hadn't even considered the possibility. Just thinking it felt like false hope, like she would just be setting herself up for further heartbreak.

On the Moon, the horror and grief she felt when Gluttony swallowed him and even the Ghosts couldn't track his Light haunted her for days. But when his Light came back, when he burst from Gluttony's mouth, as bright and as powerful as a star, when Varik's "Dragon" made its first appearance, the relief and hope she experienced remained with her even longer.

Ikora was right when she said they were lucky to survive that fight. It was nothing short of a miracle that brought Aro back and saved them all.

When she had spoken to him about it, long after the nightmares stopped, he had talked about Gluttony. The man, Toland, not the monster. It was him who helped bring him back from the brink.

Kayla was right. A small a chance was still a chance that should be taken. Miracles can happen. But sometimes they require a slight push.

And she'd be damned if she wasn't going to push.

Crona turned to Erek, who had been silent throughout the exchange . "I know it's asking a lot. But Erek, can you hold Wrath(K) on your own?" she asked. Wrath(K) brought his arms down on the shield. The light shuttered at the impact.

The Hunter silently stood and drew his knife. A humming edge of Arc Light extended from the blade point, nearly touching the ground. "Crona, you get us out of this, I will draw that bath for you myself."

Despite her exertion and fatigue at keeping the barrier up, Crona smiled, "I like salts with my bath."

"You like purple?"

Her last moments with Z and Akira flashed in her mind. Her smile grew wider, "I love purple."

"Then I'm going to need cover," he ordered, switching the knife to a backhand position. "I'm ready when you are!"

Wrath(K) raised his arms again. In that second, Crona dropped the barrier, pushed her Light into the Aegis and fired off an attack. Wrath(K) recoiled on impact and without giving him time to recover, she slammed a lightning filled fist to the ground. The blast caused the massive Herald to stagger backwards and more importantly, throw up a cloud of dust, shielding the Guardians from view.

Kayla moved behind Crona and put her hand to her shoulder. "All you, Erek. Good luck."

Kayla and Crona disappeared. Wasting no time on frayed nerves, Erek jumped out of the cloud, blade raised high over his head. He landed on Wrath(K)'s arm swinging past, buried his knife within the metal and held on for dear life.

Wrath(K) could see him. The Herald brought his arm up high, intending to slam it and Erek back onto the ground. But at the height of the swing, over the enormous head, Erek ripped his blade out and let himself fall. Wrath(K)'s other arm started to move up but was too slow. Erek landed on his head with his blade sinking to the hilt.

Wrath(K)'s furious roar shook the entire Vault and Erek grinned.

* * *

" _If it was anyone else but them, their tenacity would be inspiring_ ," Wrath(A) mumbled to Asura, reclining atop the pillar and watching the fight unfold. The Awoken, Erek, has gotten himself up to Wrath(A)'s face and managed to land a serious blow. All in all, he was impressed as well as irritated.

" _A shame Aro and Daniel had to wait out this fight,"_ Asura shot back, " _But I guess the fight needed to be fair in someway right?"_ After all that had just occurred, how he managed to be as smug as he was was just as impressive and infinitely as irritating.

They had been warned. They knew the risk and now they were paying the price. Aro would have to live with the fact that he led these fools to their deaths for the rest of his days.

But still they fought. Even without their leaders, they did not remain on the defensive in the face of Wrath(K)'s onslaught; they took the fight to him. And they were doing it for…

Wrath(A) quickly crushed any emotions the thought had caused to well up in his chest. If Asura or Spirit noticed, they shockingly made no comment.

Kayla came back into view, after spending the last minute out of sight. She gunned for the portal in the far back; the one Aro and Daniel had been thrown through. Sliding to a stop, she let out her Ghost, who immediately began to interact with it. "What is she doing?" He muttered aloud, standing up.

" _If I'm guessing correctly_ ," Spirit spoke this time, the Ghost taking on her Guardian's arrogance, " _She means to reopen the portal and bring Aro and Daniel back."_

Wrath(A) brought his hand cannon up and carefully took aim, one red eye shut. "Not if I have anything to say about it." He trained his sights on the Ghost, rather than the Guardian and slowly began to press his fingers down.

" _She shouldn't be your main focus right now."_ Spirit's sudden voice interrupted his concentration.

" _What?"_

Asura was almost beside himself with glee when he spoke again. " _Incoming."_

A line of bullets ran up the pillar he was standing on. Wrath(A) abandoned his shot, jumped before they could make contact, descending and landing hard on the ground.

Crona stopped firing, the large red and white machine gun smoking in her hands before disappearing. The mysterious Light shield reappeared on her arm. Wrath(A) spread his arms out, "Here to fight? Never seen anyone so eagerly attend their own beating."

Crona wasn't having it. Her shoulders were tight coils, evident even under her heavy armor. "I'm not here to play games with you, Wrath. I'm here to take you back to Earth."

"And ah, how do you plan to do that?" Wrath(A) asked, enjoying the way her shoulders tightened even more, "You're not Aro. You realize that, right?"

Crona's shoulders relaxed. Her tone took on a softness that it hadn't possessed before. "You're right. You're right, I'm not Aro."

He looked her up and down, trying to guess her game. "Then you know you have no chance against-"

He didn't get to finish. Crona _flew_ at him. No running start, no jump; she shot forward like a ballistic missile taking flight, Aegis arm drawn back and crackling with thunderous Arc lightning. Wrath(A) barely managed to duck in time, tucking and rolling out of her way. He flinched and when she slammed into the pillar he had been on top of, causing it to fall over.

"You're right. I'm not Aro," she said again. Her voice was now low and dangerous. Every bit as forceful and threatening and as commanding as her father. "Unlike him, I have no interest in bringing you back peacefully. You've proven yourself beyond that."

Wrath(A)'s gaping eyes narrowed into a scowl. Something panged in his core.

She brought up her shield arm, pointing the tip at him. "I came into this Traveler forsaken Vault, I lied to everyone I cared about to get my friend back and that is exactly what I am going to do!" She roared over the thundering of her own Arc Light, "You're coming with me, Wrath! And it'll be in _pieces_ if that's what it takes!"

* * *

 _Short chapter, trying to jump start Crona's main characterization. I like her as the bulwark against the Darkness for her team, the one who pulls herself and others through even when everything else seems hopeless_

 _She'll need to next book_


	54. VOG IX: A World without Light

_Bungie stole their D2 tagline from me_

* * *

 _Vault of Glass Part IX_

 _A World Without Light_

* * *

Daniel could feel the morning light pouring through his window, warming his bare back, making him grin with a feeling of pure ease and bliss.

He was home. He was safe.

His hand snaked across the bed, instinctively reaching out for Aro, hoping to pull him closer.

The spot was empty but warm. Kayla must have come and dragged him away for some-

Familiar hands brushed his face. Large palms and strong, deft fingers, just as he had grown used to. Just as he had grown to love. His smile widened. He opened his mouth to yawn out a greeting.

It was Aro who spoke first. "Daniel, wake up! Daniel!"

Daniel's heart nearly paused. The gentle hands on his face suddenly became tight, cold and shaky. The light fell away, as did the room, the warmth, the bliss and the security. Daniel's eyes popped open and he gasped to draw breath into his lungs. His bare head touched cold hard stone. A hand slipped behind him, helping him sit upright.

Aro came into focus. Helmet off, face streaked with sweat and dirt. Daniel croaked out his name.

"I'm here. I'm here," he muttered back, his gloved hands cradling his face.

"What happened? Where…" Daniel's eyes swiveled to the space behind Aro. He swallowed back bile. "Where are we?!"

Aro let go of his face and leaned back on his legs. He turned to again survey the scene behind him, wondering if he should explain or simply leave it to the Ghosts. He was still having trouble believing what he was told.

In the distance was a tower, bigger and taller than any they had ever seen. The ground beneath it was littered with dozens upon dozens of buildings, with flying vehicles moving in the spaces between them. A sprawling metropolis. It could've been the City. They could've been sent back to Earth somehow.

Aro had almost convinced himself. But the yellow-green skyline, the blue fire volcano and the lush forest surrounding them would never let him.

"Venus," he finally answered, "We're on Venus."

"Ishtar Sink," Kain said, him and Caesar appeared between them, "Several centuries in the future. Give or take a few decades."

"Wrath threw us through time," Aro explained, moving his legs to his front. "To keep me here. Until…" he swallowed, "Until he finishes with the others."

"The future?" Daniel breathed, "This? This is the future?" A city, a massive and lively one, right here on Venus. This was a dream come true. This was a good thing!

It _should_ be a good thing. Why did it feel so horribly wrong?

Aro grabbed his arm and squeezed tightly and started to rock back and forth, "I don't feel good, Daniel. Something's wrong. I-I can't feel the Traveler."

"Neither can we," Caesar said. It took only a few seconds of silent introspection for Daniel to notice that he couldn't either. It was such a constant but minuscule pull on his mind, his Light. A small and familiar comfort on those patrols that went for days or even weeks at a time. No matter where he was in the system, he would always know his way home.

Home. They needed to get back. Daniel pressed his back against the rocky face he had propped himself against and used it to force himself up to his feet. Aro scrambled to help him when his legs faltered under him. "Where's the portal we came through?"

Aro turned and pointed at the city, "I was worried about attracting attention so I moved us."

Daniel called Regime to his hand. He pulled out and dumped the almost empty magazine and reloaded. "We should start going," he said, moving past him and managing a few steps before stumbling with a grunt.

Aro's hand on his shoulder caught him. "Daniel, wait."

Daniel turned on him, "Wait? For what? You said it yourself, he's keeping us here until he kills the others."

"Daniel, your body is still recovering," Aro explained. "Falling through that portal, coming here; it did something."

"I guessed you wouldn't remember," Caesar added, "But I tried to revive you before. Only managed to get your heart beating for a few seconds before it stopped again. Your brain was never active."

"I don't feel the Traveler. And I feel…weaker," Daniel admitted, looking back in the direction of the city.

"It's not just the Traveler," Aro said, "I barely even feel the Light. I mean we still have our abilities." Aro brought up his palm and manifested a cloudy spark of Light, "But I just feel yours, my own and…" He looked towards the sun, "Very few others. Faint but they're there. One stands out."

"Aro." Aro turned back to Daniel, the sound of name pulling him out of his daze. The Titan brought his rifle up and rested it on his shoulder, "Where…where do you think we are? In time, I mean."

"I can't say for certain. It can't be a future where the Darkness won," he said, gesturing to the city, "Otherwise, I doubt this would be here."

"Is this even our reality?"

"I can't be sure of that either," he admitted, "And I'm not sure I want to be." Aro sighed wearily, "Just…don't push too hard. We're not done fighting yet."

Daniel brought his free hand up to the back of Aro's neck and pulled him in. A simple thing, the kiss they shared. But Aro could feel his heart slowing down and his shoulders relaxing.

They parted but stayed close, breaths mingling. Aro let out a small laugh. "I needed that."

"Good. Cause so did I." Daniel tapped his fist against Aro's chest. He pulled away, turned towards the large forest of trees between them and the city and sighed. Then without another word, he started walking.

Aro followed, unable to shake the feeling that even alone, something was watching.

"I still can't believe you carried me all the way through this," Daniel proclaimed, holding yet another thick tree branch out of their way.

Aro smiled grimly, "Nervous energy."

"Just 'nervous'?"

"'Terrified' is more accurate but it doesn't roll of the tongue quite as well."

Daniel huffed out a laugh at that. They had only been walking for a short while and in that time, the trees had been getting thicker and thicker, as if they were closing in on them. The yellow green sky could barely be seen except for small gaps between leaves. The city disappeared from sight a long time ago. It was still daylight out but dark on the forest floor, with just barely enough light for them to travel without aid.

Most of all, it was quiet. Things besides plants lived here, Aro knew it. He could sense them, little sparks of energy. But all seemed to avoid them like the plague. The silence gave them both too much room to think.

Erek, Crona, Kayla; the three of them alone with those... _monsters._ The thought of it, the images his mind conjured up made him want to make a mad dash for the portal just as much as it made him want to be sick all over the forest ground.

He had never before seen Wrath(A) so ready to kill something, probably anything, than in those few minutes. Despite it all, still Aro had hope to bring him back to Earth. All logic and common sense would say to put him out of his misery like the mad dog he was. And as much as he hated to think it, he doubted Asura would blame him. Watching the people you loved be hurt and killed and a stranger using your hands to commit the deeds while you sat back helpless must have been a living hell.

But hope rarely had anything to do with common sense. And it certainly wasn't logical. So still he did.

"Awfully quiet back there," Daniel said. He turned slightly to look at him, brown eyes filled with concern.

Aro waved his hand. "Sorry, I was just-"

"Thinking. I know."

"One of us has to."

"Ass," Daniel laughed, shoving his way further in. Then he stopped again and sighed, "They're fine, Aro. They won't go down easy."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not honestly," he admitted with a weak shrug. Then he moved before a particularly dense thicket of leaves. "But thinking it and saying it is probably the only thing keeping me sane right now. I have to believe it."

The leaves shook, vigorously, audibly and with no wind. Daniel turned back to the leaves and stepped closer. He pushed his hand into the bush and parted the leaves. Then he reeled back.

A dark blur sprang from within the leaves and rammed into Daniel full force. Daniel fell over and hit the ground with a grunt, more due to shock than actual impact. Before Aro could bring Hawkmoon up, the dark shape moved off his chest and scrambled into the shadows. Daniel took the opportunity to scramble for his gun, grabbing hold of it and aiming before both their minds finally processed what they were seeing. Two bowed legs, four long arms and eyes that shone through the shadows.

Aro had seen Fallen without their armor before. Only when dead, when the

Warlocks brought in cadavers for dissection and study. They weren't nearly as pale as their armor would lead one to believe, hard black chitin covering the softer flesh underneath. To see one in the same state of bareness on a hostile planet such as Venus…

Was that it then? Was this the future where the Fallen had won, driven out humanity and claimed the system for themselves?

Daniel did not shoot. He couldn't. The Vandal, it wasn't attacking him or even making a move to. It stayed on the ground, one arm stretched outwards towards them while it used the other three to cautiously crawl backwards.

It was cowering. It was afraid.

Daniel started to step forward, bewildered eyes never leaving the retreating alien. Noticing he hasn't been seen yet, Aro moved further back into the dark and trailed the Fallen from behind the trees, mind racing for some answer, _any_ answer to what they were seeing.

The Fallen don't do fear. They don't do cowardice. Everything about Eliksni culture said that they were trained to fight from birth. They did not have the Light like humanity, the Dark like the Hive, the planet sized intellects and efficiency of the Vex or the Cabal's ruthlessly effective warmongering. And at no point has it ever stopped them from facing down insurmountable odds time after time. What had changed? Aro stopped, a strange thought developing in his head.

The leaves opposite them rustled violently before being flattened completely. Another Fallen, bigger, broader and just as bare, sprung from the trees and charged at Daniel. It was then Aro stopped thinking and simply reacted.

He threw his arm out and sent an arc of flame into the air, illuminating the shadows. The simple move was enough to cause the Captain to freeze in its charge and for Daniel to move away. The Captain lowered itself closer to the ground and took tentative step after step back towards the Vandal, who was now on its feet again. The Captain's eyes swiveled back and forth from Aro's position behind the trees to Daniel and kept moving until it had positioned itself between the Titan and its kin.

Aro kept his palm out, his Light ready and near the surface. He attached Hawkmoon to his back, pushed away the leaves directly in front of him and stepped out, manifesting a flame so his face and his empty, weaponless hand could be seen.

Both Captain and Vandal froze. All four of the Captain's long arms spread out in what Aro could only describe as shock.

Aro spoke before he could lose his nerve. "Hello? C-can you understand me?"

The Captain's entire body seemed to shake at the sound of his voice. It averted its eyes to the ground and dropped to one knee in a display of submission Aro would have never even thought the Fallen capable of. The Vandal took one look at the Captain and hurried to do the same.

Both growled out just two words in raspy, jilted and dissonant but perfect Common.

" _My Kell_."

Aro's flame blinked out and his hand fell loosely to his side. He tried to speak again, to say anything but no words came to his mind and his face felt too numb to form the sounds anyway. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daniel slowly put his weapon all the way down, gaping eyes never leaving the Fallen

"We...sincerely apologize...for not noticing you earlier, my Kell," The Captain spoke again in that guttural tone that Aro was so used to hearing as a war cry, "We...ask your forgiveness…and your blessing."

"I-I…" Aro stuttered, beginning to correct "Listen-"

" _Aro, stop._ " Kain said, purposely intruding on and cutting off his train of thoughts.

" _What?"_ Aro scowled inwardly, " _Kain, not n-"_

" _Roll with it!_ " The Ghost exclaimed, " _We can use this!"_

" _But-"_

" _Aro, they're waiting!"_

"Why are you here?" He blurted out, raising and deepening his voice to hide the fear.

The Captain's glowing eyes shifted, glancing back at the Vandal for just a second before returning to the dirt. "My brother...he has a wandering mind. I only hoped to find him...bring him home before he is hurt."

"Your home is nearby?"

"A small town...my Kell. Nearby, yes."

"You will take us there," Aro commanded, letting his voice echo off the tree, "And you will do so quickly."

The Captain bowed lower. "We live to serve, my Kell." The Fallen then resorted to its native, harsher, tongue when speaking to the younger Vandal. Aro never thought he'd find hearing it a comfort. With a final look at Aro and Daniel, the Vandal took off into the trees.

The Captain started in a different direction at a brisk walking pace. Aro and Daniel stepped in behind it. The Fallen moved between the trees and the brush as if it knew the trees better than anything else in this world or any other. It was then Aro realized where the younger Fallen got his sense of curiosity and exploration.

Just as he began to reflect on the gravity of what he was feeling and towards whom, he heard it. Voices. _Human_ voices. His stomach flipped. "You are dismissed," he quickly ordered the Fallen, "We will find our way from here."

"My Kell," The Captain growled, bowing low. Without another word, it stepped back and disappeared into the trees, sprinting away on four legs.

Aro pushed his trembling fingers through the leaves. Before he could push them apart, his helmet reappeared. "We might not want to be recognized any further," Kain explained. Behind him, he saw that Caesar had thought the same.

He and Daniel pushed their way through the leaves. His breath caught in his throat.

The town was small. More of a village with market stalls and tents dotting the center surrounded by a multitude of modestly built homes. In the central area, people walked, conversed, laughed. Children even ran and played around the feet of their parents.

People. Living, thriving on Venus. Human, Awoken, Exo and...Fallen.

There were Fallen, living amongst people of Earth. Walking the market, tending the homes. One tall Captain in particular had screaming children of differing races clambering over it, hoisting them into and around in the air.

"This is real," Daniel whispered, "I can't believe…"

Aro let out a frustrated snarl. He fell sideways against one of the small buildings and slid to the ground. His chest was heaving under his armor. This, all of this was too much for him to process.

 _Nothing_ made sense. Humanity and Fallen, living and thriving together, as if the last several centuries of brutal warfare had never taken place. Had the Traveler never appeared in their system? Then how is anyone living on Venus? Why can he just barely sense the tiniest signals of Light?

Did the Traveler leave them? Did the Darkness go with it?

What had he done to bring this about? How did he, of all people, become a Fallen's Kell?

"We need to leave," Aro uttered, barely recognizing the sound of his own voice.

"What?" Daniel sounded like he had just remembered where they were.

Aro sprang up and started back towards the trees. "I said we need to leave! I…I don't know what _this_ _is_ ," he turned and gestured wildly to the village marketplace, "But it feels too wrong. And we don't have time to find out why."

Get back to the Vault, he repeated over and over in his head. Back to where things somehow made more sense.

Daniel increased his pace to fall into step with him. They crossed the line of back into the forest, Aro relying on Kain's memory to lead them back to the Vex gate.

The already quiet sounds of the village got further and further away, lulling Aro into a sense of security, mixed with his unease. The eyes he felt deep in the forest where he had dragged Daniel were still on him and at no point did he notice a follower or even signs of one.

A hand suddenly wrapped around his arm, much too small to be Daniel's. On instinct, he yanked the restrained arm downward, throwing whoever was attached to him down as well.

His assailant, a hooded Awoken woman, hit the dirt with a pained grunt. Aro kicked away the weapon before she could scramble for it. She struggled against him but a simple hand to her sternum kept her in place. Aro turned at the sound of a terrified, strangled cry to see Daniel holding a second person, an Awoken man now, against a tree.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The woman seethed, attempting futilely to push him off.

"Have you been following us? Answer me!" Aro demanded, taking on the same tone he did with the Fallen.

"Hey, hey!" The man Daniel had restrained threw both hands up in placating surrender, "Let's…everyone calm down."

"We're perfectly calm," Daniel said, "You're the one shaking."

To their surprise, the Awoken man let out a weak laugh. "Adrenaline and a bit of fear, I'm afraid. I've honestly never been much of a fighter." He cleared his throat, "My name is Cole. That's my friend, Sona. We saw you enter the village."

"Neither of you look brand new," The woman called Sona said. Aro noticed the strain in her voice and eased the pressure on her sternum. "You should know we're not supposed to go near residential areas!"

"'We?' Who's 'we'?"

"For fuck's sake, the Resistance!"

Aro's eyebrows rose. Resistance? For what? Against who?

Roll with it, he reminded himself. Aro removed his hand from Sona's abdomen. Daniel let go of Cole, who dropped to the ground with a huff . "We apologize. Slipped our minds. There's a base close by?" Aro asked, sticking out a hand. Sona stares at it for a few seconds before taking it and allowing Aro to help her up.

"Yes," she answered curtly, "A small one nearby."

Cole quickly moved around Aro and Daniel towards Sona, "We can take you there if you like." The young man, practically a kid, was smiling but there was an uneasiness in his eyes. There was something similar in Sona's piercing violet eyes. Uneasiness but also distrust and something else...

Aro gestured in the direction of the trees. "Lead on then."

Sona's eyes narrowed. Aro didn't realize he had taken on the tone from before. "Have we met before?" she asked.

Aro was grateful for his helmet hiding his dripping forehead. If the Fallen called him Kell, what did humanity consider him? "I don't know anyone by the name of Sona."

"You sound familiar but you don't at the same time." She looked over him once more before shaking her head. "Your accent is wrong. Never mind." She took the strap of her gun and slung it over her shoulders. She took off at a brisk walking pace deeper into the forest. After sharing a look, Aro and Daniel fell in step behind her and her friend.

" _Caesar says Daniel wants to know if we should ask them about this Resistance,"_ Kain said, his nervousness bouncing around in Aro's head.

" _Tell him no. We should wait until we get back to their base_." Asking for even the basics would tip them off that their not from around here.

Aro held back a sound of frustration and rolled his shoulders. The others were still fighting inside the Vault. They were wasting time.

"Cole? Sona? Have either of you happen across a Vex gate in the area?" Aro asked, trying to keep his tone light and easy.

"There are plenty around. It is Venus after all," Cole answered, "None have been active in centuries though. No Vex to control them."

No Vex? Aro had to bit his tongue. Daniel cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Speaking of centuries…" Sona turned her head slightly, "What you're wearing. You're pretty brave to wear armor of the Old Guardians so brazenly." She shrugged, "Either very brave or suicidal."

Aro let out a cough, disguised as a small laugh. He felt like he had the wind punched out of him. He begged the Traveler to not let him be sick in his helmet.

"Old Guardians". What in the world _happened_?

"Are we close?" Daniel asked, eyes turned to the sky.

Sona suddenly stopped. "We're here," was her answer.

Cole bent down and pressed his hand on a small spot of dirt. A few heartbeats passed by before they heard the sound of pressure releasing. The Awoken twisted his hand. The patch of dirt and a circular section of forest ground surrounding it twisted with him, lifted up and slid away, revealing a ladder leading down into a dark tunnel.

Sona went down first, then Aro and Daniel after being beckoned by Cole. Cole closed and sealed the entrance behind them then jumped off the ladder, falling the rest of the way behind them.

The tunnel walls were plain, made of basic metal with a slight river of water trailing under their feet. Towards the far end of the tunnel, dim light could be seen. Aro's heart thundered in his chest.

The group pushed their way through a door. Inside was a group of heavily armed people, of every race except Fallen. Leaning against the walls, talking and eating around a small, dim burner fire that cast large shadows on the walls. Every head in the camp turned to the new arrivals.

Cole excitedly dropped his gun on a workbench and went over to join them, seeming relieved to finally be out of the field. Sona paid them no mind. "He in?" She asked. One Human man jerked his head towards a closed door at the back and Sona strode for it. She rapped her leather clad knuckles against it twice before pushing her way through and holding it open for them. She nodded her head inside, "You should both talk to him if you're gonna be in the area."

Daniel and Aro stepped into the room and Sona shut the door behind them. At the end of the room was an Exo hunched over a desk. He stood taller than both Aro and Daniel and his metal frame was colored a dark and slightly faded red.

Aro let out a shaky breath. "A...Aashir?"

The Exo slowly straightened up at the sound of the name and turned. "Yes? Do we know each other?"

A silent order to Kain and Aro's helmet disappeared. He took in a deep breath.

Aashir gaped at them with one slowly widening blue eye. The Exo's mouth opened and closed, at a total loss for words.

Aro let out a relieved laugh. "Aashir, you're al-" A loud bang filled the room.

In shock, Aro's trembling hand went up to touch his neck and came away, the world a blur.

Blood. His fingers were covered with blood.

Aashir fired his gun again. Aro grunted as he felt his knee give out. Again. Aro fell backwards.

Daniel charged the Exo. Aashir turned the weapon on him and started to fire again and again, his bullets bouncing harmlessly off Daniel's Barrier. Aro pressed down on the gushing wound in his neck while Kain rushed to repair the damage and putting all his energy into fighting the pain and staying conscious.

Aashir had stopped shooting, freezing out of shock before Daniel could get the weapon away from him. "Daniel? You're alive!" The Exo stuttered in a rough, static voice, "I can't believe-"

Daniel brought him up and slammed him onto the wall. "So you know who I am but you don't know who he is? What is wrong with you?!"

"How is this possible?" Aashir murmured, his single eye never leaving Daniel's face. Then the eye widened in realization. "So this is it. This is when it happens," he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

The door banged open. Several of the Resistance members, including Sona and Cole poured in, weapons up and pointed at Daniel's Void covered back.

One of them noticed shifting her feet. She looked down to see Aro, attempting to get back onto his feet.

She _screamed_.

The room exploded in gunfire. The very first bullet pierced his forehead. He didn't feel the rest of them, tearing ragged, bloody holes through his shields, his armor and his body.

Daniel threw himself at the shooters and slammed both arms on the ground. No lightning accompanied it but the impact was enough to scatter the gunners. He put himself between Aro's bullet riddled corpse under his pulsating Ghost and his killers. Lightning crackled around him and his eyes shone an electric blue; a clear and credible threat.

The Resistance members staggered back at the sight of him. Cole's shaking grew even more violent.

Aro's body shot up straight with a yell. The world spun as he scrambled to his feet. Daniel took a step back towards him, eyes on the Resistance. "Aro, you alright?"

"Ugh. I've had gentler resurrections," he groaned, shaking his head.

Daniel turned on the crowd, "What the hell is wrong with all of you?" He turned and pointed at Aashir, "And you! You know who he is!"

"We all know who he is!" Sona screamed at him. Where there was first distrust in her eyes had been taken over with sheer burning hate.

"As do I." Aashir glowered at him. Aro could see he was thinking about shooting him again. But then he put the gun away. "Who you really are."

"Then why did you shoot me?"

"I just wanted the satisfaction." Aashir walked over to the center of the small room and sat down in a chair opposite the fire. His joints creaked loudly at the action. "Guns down, everyone. They're no threat," he ordered. Then he pointed to the bench opposite him. "Sit."

"Aashir, you can't be serious," Sona said. Her gun was the only one still pointing up.

"I said weapons down, Sona," Aashir snapped, "You couldn't kill him if you tried."

Aro put his hand over his eyes and ran it down his face. He could not remember a single point in time in his life where he had been more tired. When he spoke, his voice showed it. "Aashir," the Exo's name came out as a weary groan, "Daniel and I are trapped here. While we've been trying to find our way out, our teammates are being killed by Wrath."

"Better than the alternative, if you ask me."

"What alternative?" Daniel stalked closer.

"Sit," Aashir said again. This time, they obeyed. Aro could feel all the eyes behind him burning holes into his back. "The rest of you, wait outside."

With looks between each other and Aashir, the Resistance fighters slowly filed out. Cole was last, giving Aro and Daniel one last look, filled with tremendous grief and pain, before he gently shut the door behind him.

But Sona and a few others refused to leave. She strapped her gun around her shoulder again and dropped down into a seat, never breaking eye contact with Aashir, daring the old Warlock to stand up and kick them all out himself.

The old Warlock wearily acquiesced. "Where to start?" Aashir sighed and leaned back, his joints creaking in the uncomfortable quiet. "The beginning, I guess. Pride. He took us all down on Venus. Maybe it's because we didn't see him coming but he got the drop on us anyway."

Daniel turned to him. "The hooded person you saw, Aro."

"So it was him…"

"But…but he spared us," Aashir went on, blue eye on the ceiling. He took on a sardonic tone, "At his mercy, entirely. He entered the Vault and dropped us at your feet, after you all beat Wrath the Titan and convinced Wrath the Hunter back to our side-"

"What?" Aro shot up from his seat. The sound of several automatic weapons mirrored his movement but a hand from Aashir stopped them from firing.

"You heard right." Aashir's hand slowly lowered. "You kill Wrath(K). Wrath(A) agrees to return to Earth with you and fight against Pride." He let out a bitter laugh, "No one died. You were ecstatic. In tears. I remember getting slightly emotional myself when I woke up."

Aro fell back onto the bench. They win. They _win_. Everything they worked for, all they have suffered; all he put his team through. It all worked out in the end. Daniel's breathing deepened and his hand squeezed Aro's knee.

"Pride let us revel in our little victory," Aashir continued, rubbing one of his shoulders. "Then…he came. He came to the City and called for you. You went to meet him alone, you fought and you lost."

"But he didn't kill me," Aro finished, unable to keep the shaking out of his voice.

"No." Aashir shook his head. His voice became weaker, "He asked you to join him."

Aro let out a small disbelieving laugh. "But I didn't, right?" He couldn't have. He wouldn't. That was the one surety in his life; he would never join Pride.

Aashir's eye flitted over him. He said nothing.

"Aashir?!"

"I figured the bullets that just finished tearing you apart would help you figure out the answer." Aashir waved his hand, as if his implied answer had little consequence. "To this day, I don't know if it was out of guilt or some misdirected need to do right. But Aro, you did."

"No." His voice shook; soft, halting, disbelieving.

"Look around you, Aro! Look at them!" He flung his hand out towards the soldiers in the back, "Why did they react so violently to your presence? Who do you think we are _resisting_?!"

"No…" The sound of rushing blood filled his ears. His head was pounding. The fire before him seemed to move along with it.

Aashir couldn't care less about his distress. "This! All of this! The opening of the Gate, the Traveler's destruction, the wholesale slaughter of _every_ Guardian, Aro," his voice dropped to a weak whisper, "...was you. Pride. And you."

" _NO!_ " The fire at the center of the room shot into the air and his the ceiling with an audible slam. Just under it, he heard the sound of several weapons reading again.

It slowly lowered back down. Aro breathing grew more and more labored. "I-I wouldn't. I would never-"

"But you did." Aashir leaned back in his seat. "You and Pride finally fulfilled your dream. At the cost of the rest of us."

Aro noticed the warmth missing from his knee. Daniel had moved his hand back.

"The very first thing you and Pride after opening the Gate did was find Crota and kill him," Aashir continued, "He wasn't a threat to you anymore and with your self given titles as the sole protectors of Earth, he wasn't a threat to us either. His death was mere retribution. For the pain he inflicted on us on the Moon. Retribution and bait."

"Crota had a father. A whole family," Aashir said, "Oryx. God of the Hive. The Taken King. He came to our system seeking revenge against you and Pride for the death of his son and together, you killed him. You killed him and you, Aro, took his power and his position as leader of the Hive and the Taken."

"Taken? What are the Taken?" Aro asked in a shaking voice.

"Abominations. Crimes against nature," Aashir spat, "The power to Take lets you rip a living being out of our world into a pocket dimension, where their bodies are warped and their minds torn to shreds. The Takertben inserts a piece of their own will in the place of their minds and sends them back with one purpose; to live, fight and die for them."

"And this 'Taking' power, it's of the Darkness, right?"

"Yes."

Aro's breath hitched, "Then how? I'm a Guardian!"

"Isn't it obvious? You stopped being one. The Darkness took root. Pride, he gave you your memories of your old life back." Aashir rubbed his knee again, a distant look in his eye. "You severed your connection with your Ghost. No matter the path you had chosen, you couldn't bring yourself to kill him. Kain is alive but…I don't know where he is now."

"Afterwards, you came to the City…and you offered an ultimatum to the Guardians. And when they inevitably rejected your's and Pride's terms of surrender, you destroyed the Traveler and without the Light…you can imagine what you did next."

He could. By the Traveler, he could. One by one, everyone went through Aro's mind. Everyone. Each image, each memory cane with a resounding implication.

He had _killed_ them.

Shino was dead. Katrina was dead. The Vanguard, Erek, Crona, Asura, they were were all dead. By his hand. Until Aashir was all that was left.

He was a monster simply waiting for the right moment to be released and set upon the world. Aro shook his head and stood, pacing back and forth between the bench and the wall. Every eye in the room followed him.

Unable to even speak, it was Kain who began asking the questions. "Aashir? Can I ask you something?"

"Kain," Aashir murmured the Ghost's name in such a reverent matter, Aro could feel his throat squeeze. "Yes. Anything."

"The Fallen. How are they here? And the Hive, Cabal and Vex? What happened to them?"

"Eliksni," Aashir corrected, "They aren't the Fallen anymore. Aro and Pride brought them into the fold, was willing to let the past be forgiven and worked with them so that both our peoples could live in peace. It's been centuries since then. Many Fallen consider this system their one true home and Aro and Pride their saviors. Their 'Kells of Kells. In their name, they shed their old Houses and became one; the House of Sol.

"And the Hive? They were beyond forgiveness. Too dedicated to the Darkness and it's omnicidal ways. Aro and Kain, being two of the few who could hold the position of God Kings, killed every claimant to the throne. Now they control the Hive unchallenged. Some fight for them against any insurrection, such as us. But most patrol the outskirts of the system. The first line of defense against incoming threats. They are born, live and die for humanity and the Eliksni."

"The Vex?" Aro asked in a raspy voice, back still turned to them, "The Cabal?"

"Destroyed," he said bluntly, "They used the Taken and Hive to wipe out every Cabal legion in the system and when the head of their Empire responded and arrived, they took him and ripped his Red Legion apart like nothing. Their people are still out there but they know to stay far from us now. As for the Vex, their destruction was rather simple. No climatic battle, no great losses. Aro and Pride managed to find the central Mind, hiding away in its own pocket dimension, much like the Ascendant Hive. They destroyed it so completely that every Vex unit, past, present and future just…dropped dead."

"Aashir?" Daniel spoke up for the first time in what felt like hours. For what might have actually been hours. "My family. What happened to them?"

Aashir rubbed the back of his neck, his one eye blinking over and over. An Exo's display of sadness. His eyes, simple blue lights, seemed far away. "They died in the fight, just like you did. Aro…" Aashir leaned back and looked over them both, "I remember now. You two were lovers." His voice was wistful, nostalgic. "He offered all of us our lives, you know. In return for our Ghosts. And even after we rejected him, he tried to make the killing as quick as possible."

Aro wanted to turn around. To leave the wall, go back to Daniel, to do…something. But what? The Heralds, the Darkness. They had already taken so much from him.

Daniel's gaze remained pointed at Aashir. Aro couldn't figure out what was running through his head. Was it hate? Repulsion? Guilt for letting the eventual cause of his family's deaths ever come near him?

"You're Maya's brother?" Sona asked, her voice ringing out in the quiet, "She's told us about you."

Aro turned away from the wall. Daniel was on his feet, his face red. "Maya? She's alive?"

"I managed to get her and her fireteam away," Aashir explained.

"A lot of us have stories like her's," Sona said, "Families and friends killed because they dared stand up to…" her eyes flicked at Aro, who looked away in shame, "…to them."

"When the Traveler was destroyed, we believed it the end," Aashir said. He stood up slowly, "Without the Light, a lot of the old Guardians were powerless. We don't know how but…Maya found a way. Her and her fireteam, they got their Light back. They lead this Resistance and Maya is the only one who can hope to match you and Pride."

Maya. The Light he sensed in the far reaches of his mind was Maya.

"Is she around?" Daniel asked frantically, "Can I see her?!"

"Nobody knows where she is and she's always moving. Something we should start doing." Aashir got to his feet with a groans.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm taking you back to the nearest Vex Gate. I've explained all I can. And there's nothing you can do for us." Aashir pulled a cloak off the back of his chair and slipped it on around his shoulders. He walked by his cluttered desk and stopped suddenly. There was a short metal cylindrical bar, silver and the size of a baton.

"So that's it?" Aro asked, "You're just going to let me go? After…everything?"

Aashir looked up from the desk, his eye roving all over Aro's face. He remained silent for a long period of time before he turned back to the desk. "It's insane honestly," he said, "I know what happens when you get back. Even with you being here, now, knowing what you now know, you're still on the path to where we are today."

He picked up the bar and held it to eye level. "But I believe. Centuries after everything that has happened, I still believe that you can change all of this." He let out a small laugh. He closed his eye and turned his head towards the ceiling. "Seeing you here, how human you were before Pride. Actually talking to you again. It gives me hope, something I haven't felt in a very long time."

Aashir shook the bar in his hand once. Daniel and Aro watched as the baton extended from both the top and the bottom. Long thick, bars of metal extended spread outward, the short baton becoming a full sized metal staff. Aashir started towards the door, weight pressing down on the staff.

Even underground, the gentle, rolling sound of thunder could be heard. As they made the group made their way to the exit, Aro started to remind Kain to put his helmet on when they got outside.

Thunder sounded again, louder and much sharper, as if lightning had struck next to their heads and Aro stopped in his tracks, his heart squeezing in fear.

He was still being watched.

Daniel had his intense gaze pointed at the ceiling. Aashir was staring at the door, a hand up to signal everyone to stop. The seconds ticked by like hours, filled with apprehension and silence. Sona and the other Resistance members shared looks, wondering what was going on that had the three so frozen in place.

Aashir's free hand started to shake. He wrapped it tightly around the metal staff and he took a step back.

Aro and Daniel both suddenly felt like they were struck with a gale. Daniel visibly flinching and turning wide eyes to the door. Aro felt the sudden cold in his bones.

Behind the door, from the common area, a voice cried out in terror only to be abruptly silenced. A cacophony of screams and panicked yells followed, gradually growing in volume and intensity until chaos burst out.

If Aro never heard again for the rest of his life what he heard coming from outside, it would be too soon. Erratic gunfire bouncing off the walls, horrified screams suddenly cut off, terrified begging swiftly and brutally silenced. It was the sound of slaughter.

Sona was screaming, sobbing, pulling towards the door while her comrades struggled to hold her back. Aro moved around them, hand against the door, preparing to push it open and to fight.

The door shattered. A dark blur flew through the opening and knocked Aro and Daniel to the ground. It was moving too fast to be seen but Aro could feel the Darkness rolling off of it in nauseating waves.

Sona let out an enraged, grieving scream, brought up her gun and fired wildly in its direction. The monster dashed up the wall, to the ceiling, faster than the eye could see and viciously cut her down, silencing her keening.

The shadow spared her no thought, dashing to and fro through the crowd, the Resistance members helpless as it literally tore them to pieces.

A steak of hot blood splashed across Aro's eyes, shocking him out of his trance. Aro sprang to his feet just as Daniel got struck across the face trying to protect Aashir. Having blinded the Titan, the monster pushed past Daniel for Aashir. With a quickness and strength that belied his age, Aashir lifted the staff off the ground and spun it around him, striking the monster across the skull and sending it staggering back.

Aro slammed the creature against the wall, pinning it in place. He took one look at its face and felt the wind leave him.

The monster looked like nothing Aro has ever seen or even heard of. It was a black and white silhouette of a man, as if the Darkness itself had taken on a corporal shape. The stink of decay and waves of dread rolled off of its twitching, twisting form. But it was the face that commanded attention.

"Cole?" Aro gasped. The creature blinked at the sound of its former name.

"What the hell happened to him?" Daniel sounded like he was going to be sick. Aro could feel his feet start to slide across the ground, slick with blood.

"Taken," Aashir's voice was thick with grief, "That means-"

The ground rocked violently. Cole broke out of Aro's grip and dashed through the door less opening, most likely back to the surface. The earth shook again.

"The ceiling! Get to the walls!" Daniel lifted Aashir and carried him over, pressing his body between him and the collapsing pieces of the ceiling. Light poured in and the three came face to face with creature who, despite looking very much like Cole did now, was Cabal and several times as massive.

In the background, against the lightning filled clouds, was a human shape, all of its features completely indiscernible from their distance.

All of its features except for its blood red eyes.

The person brought both their arms up. With the motion, the wind started to pick up speed, the streaks of lightning in the sky grew more and more violent. Smaller blue bolts danced around the person's body and upraised arms.

Then they threw their arms down.

Aro felt Daniel's Light burst outward, a Void dome wrapping around them.

It was not enough.

A spear of lightning dropped down from the sky and struck the Ward of Dawn. It shattered on impact. Aro felt his body go numb and his vision go white as the lightning enveloped them all.

—-

Aro revived with a choking yell. His body felt as if it was on fire. He turned over off his back painfully and got to his hands and knees.

The rebel base had been completely destroyed in the blast. Pieces were all that was left; of objects and of the people. His hand squeezed in a tattered piece of cloth.

Sona had been wearing this.

Aro's nerves had gotten all the abuse they could take. His stomach heaved violently and he spit out bile mixed with his own blood. "Daniel? Aashir!" he moaned. He stood one foot up and used it to push up halfway before it gave out under him and he hit the ground with a grunt. "Kain…"

"There's a lot of interference," the Ghost said, "I'm having trouble locating either-" A mound of debris some feet away suddenly shifted. Daniel shakily got to his feet, his face streaked with ash and blood. Aro called his name again and upon seeing him, Daniel trudged over and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, helping him stand. "Aashir," Aro asked, "Have you-"

"Aro, Daniel," came Kain's somber voice, "Behind you." Both turned at Kain's direction.

"Aashir? _AASHIR_!" Aro wrenched himself out of Daniel's hold and ran to the Exo.

"Daniel. Aro," the Exo groaned weakly. The static in his voice made him difficult to understand.

Aro dropped next to his body, "We're here. What can we do?" he asked.

Aashir laughed. "Nothing. Nothing for me." The laugh became a strangled sob, "Every day for the last several hundred years, I wondered what could have changed, what could we have done different so that this would never come about."

Aro's vision blurred. Aashir lifted his mangled up and held out to Aro his staff from before. Then he clutched Aro's hand tightly in his own. The tears spilled down Aro's cheeks. He felt Daniel's hand wrap around his shoulder.

"I have no reason to believe things will play out differently," Aashir murmured, "But _I do_. I do. Do not succumb to yourself, to your grief." The sound he made was weak, weary and deep down, Aro and Daniel knew it was his last. Aashir had been fighting for so long and he was so tired. But the Exo squeezed Aro's hand one more time and gasped out, "I believe in you, Aro."

Aashir's grip loosened and the light of his eye flickered out. Aro gently laid it down over his heart and sobbed, his tears splashing against Aashir's face. Daniel pressed his head into Aro's hair and he could feel the tears running down the back of his neck.

A growl had Aro's head spin to face behind him. There stood Taken Cole. His black shoulders were hunched, his head lowered and his fingers twitching violently. His plain white eyes were on Aro, watching his every movement but as before, he did not move to attack.

Aro did. With an anguished roar, he grabbed Aashir's staff and let open to its full length. Then he Blinked out of the crater and kept Blinking closer and closer, his screaming filling the air all the while. He rammed the end of the staff into Cole's chest, piercing all the way to the back. When the weapon pulled on his Light, Aro did not attempt to comprehend or fight it. He let his power flow freely and fully.

His vision took on a purple tinge. Bright violet rings suddenly appeared in the plain metal staff and it started to hum with power. Aro pulled it from Cole's chest and viciously swung it around at his head, a blast of Void Light accompanying the blow. The monster neck twisted at an unnatural angle and his body suddenly went limp. Before Cole could collapse dead to the ground, his ruined, dented skull seemed to spiral and twist. Aro stumbled back as Cole's entire body lifted into the air and twisted with his head, spiraling out of existence like water swirling down a drain.

"Thank you for that. I was worried I'd have to out the kid out of his misery myself." Aro turned at the sound of the voice. A man had been standing directly behind Cole. He stepped forward into the light and smiled, "Your temper is coming back. That's good to see."

And Aro felt the staff drop from his hands.

Before Aro...stood Aro. He stood slightly taller and broader. Unarmored and wearing simple clothing; a pair of jeans and a black leather jacket. His eyes were red. The shade of red that has haunted his dreams almost every night for years on end. Behind, Daniel held the same look of bewilderment, his eyes switching back and forth between the two.

The older Aro held his hand out. Aro scrambled backwards towards Daniel and got to his feet. The red eyed man sighed and put his hand down. "I expected this reaction. I still remember it." His voice carried a strange accent to it that was unfamiliar and yet resonated within Aro's head at the same time, as if he could remember it.

This was him? This is who he became? Aashir had just died. This man had been the cause of his death and suffering for the last several hundred years and he had the nerve to sound as if they were making small talk. Aro lifted up the staff, lip curling into a snarl.

Future him's eyes looked down at the weapon. "Didn't realize he kept that," he murmured. Aro's eyes flicked down to the staff and readjusted his grip. "Oh, he didn't tell you?" the older Aro asked, "That was never his."

"Then have it back!" Aro screamed as he charged at him. His future self jumped to the side, Aro's jab missing completely. Then he wrapped his arm around the staff and used it to yank Aro closer. His hand darted up and wrapped around Aro's throat. His future's self's eyes lit up bright blue, with forks of lightning dancing around his face. Aro felt the strength leave his legs and arms as his future self just held him there. Future Aro suddenly threw out his free hand and Daniel, who had jumped into the air and was descending, suddenly stopped in his fall and remained paralyzed in the air.

"Save your energy. You'll need it later." Future Aro chided as if he were dealing with children. A swirling sphere of darkness spiraled into existence behind them and opened with an earth shaking pop. The Taken Cabal that ripped out the roof to the rebel base lumbered forward.

In its arms, held gently but tightly, was a rusty Vex Gate. The Gate they had been looking for.

The Cabal set it down. Future Aro let him go and let Daniel drop to the ground. Then he stepped to the side.

The Vex Gate hummed and whirred with power before suddenly bursting to life. Aro stared, hypnotized by the light. His future self gestured at the portal.

"So nothing?" asked Aro quietly, "You're not going to say anything?"

"There will plenty of time to talk later," his future self said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I am simply here to make sure everything stays on track. And that means ensuring you return home."

"How did you activate the portal without the Vex?"

"I didn't. The Warmind was always annoyingly smart."

Before either of them could realize the gravity of what he just said, he gestured again. "Your friends are not going to last much longer. Time's running out."

Crona, Kayla, Erek. In the chaos...this was their chance. They could get back. They could go home.

Daniel was on his hands and knees, staring deeply at the ground. Aro stood and helped him to his feet, speaking softly, reminding them that they have to leave. Daniel didn't respond but he let Aro help him along to the portal.

He turned his head to look back at the future Aro and stopped. "What we had," he said, his voice so weak and vulnerable, "Was it not enough? Was I not enough? Did none of it mean anything in the end?"

The older man stared into Daniel's eyes for a few long seconds before turning away and saying again, more curtly, "Time is running out."

Daniel's eyes widened and his teeth audibly ground together. He just stared at him for a short time before abruptly turning away and disappearing through the Vex Gate.

Aro remained in place, staring at him, at Aashir's dead body behind him and at...a figure at the edge of the trees. Cloaked, face hidden by a low hood, just barely out of notice.

Pride. It couldn't be anyone else.

Future Aro followed his gaze and when it landed on Aro's focus, it stayed there. They both watched as the hooded figure slowly walked into the crater that had been the Resistance base and stood over Aashir's body. After a few seconds, he slowly dropped to his knees.

Future Aro turned back to Aro. Aro took a step back. Another. Then finally, he turned around and disappeared through the Vex Gate.

"Took him long enough," the older man muttered as the Gate deactivated. A lightning bolt, smaller than before, dropped from the sky and struck the gate, cracking it open down the center. He turned back to the hooded man, who had climbed out of the crater.

He was holding Aashir's body. The two men shared a look before the cloaked man said, "He deserves a proper burial."

"You don't owe him anything."

"Yes. Yes, I do."

* * *

 _It was a mistake to listen to "Journey" while writing this_


	55. VOG X: A Split in the Road

_Vault of Glass Part X_

 _A Split in the Road_

* * *

Kayla tended to work well under pressure. The fight to save the Warmind on Mars said as much.

But this. This was not that. This was another thing entirely.

On Mars, there was one Herald, fast, skilled but normal sized. In here, it was still one Herald, only bigger, stronger and exceptionally angrier. On Mars, she was working with familiar technology; Golden Age but still human made. In here, as the gate's utter failure to respond to any and every one of her attempts to wake it reminded her, she was working with machinery far beyond her ken.

Her team's lives didn't depend on her success before. Not like it did now.

"Kayla, I need you here!" Sixx frantically called out from behind the Vex Gate. She'd rather not have her Ghost out and exposed but she simply didn't have enough hands to do the work that was needed. She flinched as one of Wrath(K)'s blasts landed close by. Too close for comfort.

Too close to be an accident. Kayla was on her feet instantly, throwing herself off to the side. A Void blast landed at her previous position and the platform quaked with the impact. She didn't give herself time to contemplate the close call; she scrambled to her feet and threw herself behind the portal, Wrath(K)'s second attack narrowly missing her.

A missile collided with the back of Wrath(K)'s massive leg, knocking him down to one knee. "C'mon!" Erek roared in challenge, firing off Truth's next missile into the Herald's face.

Wrath(K)'s metal head was thrown back from the impact, sparks and tiny pieces of silver metal sent flying into the air. Wrath(K) whipped his head back and swiped at a nearby pillar.

The stone shattered, massive smoking pieces rained down on Erek's head as he ran and Blinked his way out from underneath each falling chunk. Wrath(K) let out a shrill scream before he started to chase the barely escaping Hunter, giving Kayla and Sixx the space they needed to work at the risk of his own neck, just as he had intended.

Erek wasn't a threat to Wrath(K). But Wrath(K), when sufficiently angered went from coldly calculating and intelligent to the mindless embodiment of rage, dead set on crushing whatever enemy put themselves in his path, with no focus to spare anyone else. Every method Erek employed to avoid being vaporized or crushed was all he could do to avoid being killed. He knew this. Kayla knew it too. She was reminded of it with each second that passed that the portal failed to open, with each sudden, thunderous slam that Wrath(K) delivered.

The longer Erek managed to avoid him, the wilder his attacks got and the likelier it became that Erek would eventually slip up. A mistimed jump, a dodge in the wrong direction, a hard, disorienting land in an uncovered spot; all the Herald needed was for the Hunter to make one mistake. Just one. Then he could die screaming as Wrath(K) slowly and mercilessly ripped the Light from his mangled body. Kayla's fingers started to tremble at the image.

"Kayla!" Crona's breathless voice exploded in her comms, "Are you close? At all?!"

"No! I…" Kayla's answer was cut short by a sudden sharp yell from Crona. Kayla's head swiveled in her direction just in time to see her scrambling to her feet just as Wrath(A) lifted the blade from where she must have been knocked on her back half seconds before.

The Exo was fighting like a man gone mad. None of his other half's fluid, almost arrogant finesse but a wild brutality befitting his name. The two were evenly matched; where Wrath(A) was speed and precision, Crona was force and power. Even from her distance, Kayla could tell that the very few hits she had managed to land on him had been devastating and very nearly fatal.

A stray Void blast near her head brought her attention back to the gate. "Sixx, can you detect any change?!" The desperation she felt filled her voice, "Sixx?!" She flinched violently as another stray blast hit the pillar towering over her head. She supposed she should be glad. Every hit that came close to her meant it was one that missed Erek, even if that was exactly what he was risking his neck to avoid.

The signal beam that the Ghost had been using to manipulate the gate through its various ports disappeared. He stared at the gate for a few more moments before he turned to his Guardian. "Kayla, I haven't been able to take control and manipulate the gateway like we wanted. I'm pretty much out of ideas to make this thing work." Sixx slowly floated further away from the portal. He eyes flicked between it and her. A sign of apprehending. "Except …one."

"What? Sixx, what is it?" His hesitation told her easily enough that it would be something risky, possibly life threatening. But despite all common sense, she didn't care. They were all very quickly running out of time. "Sixx!" she yelled when the Ghost didn't answer.

He ducked slightly at her suddenly raised voice. "I opened a pathway. I can't force my way through but...I think a Warmind could. Kayla, I think you could."

Tap into the Vex portal network. It took her only a few heartbeats to quell the pooling fear within her. "I'll do it," she heard her own shaking voice say.

"Kayla, are you sure? I mean, this thing is linked to the Vault network," Sixx told her, "You could get lost in there!"

"Then you kill me, bring me back and we start again!" Kayla cut off, moving off her knees to a sitting position, closer to the gate. "We do it as many times as it takes."

"But that might not work!"

"Sixx! We don't have time to worry about me! " She turned on her Ghost.

"You could be trapped in there! Where does that leave us?" He demanded of her. Then he asked quietly this time, "Where does that leave me?"

It was his fear that gave her pause instead of her own. But again, she painfully pushed it away. When this was over, if she survived, she could ruminate over every single thing that could've gone horrifically wrong. But now, she couldn't afford to let fear overwhelm her; not her's, not anybody's.

Sixx blinked his one eye at her. And in that one eye, she could see that he knew that. He turned back to one of the open ports. "I can act as the bridge. Prepare yourself."

Kayla took one final look at Erek and Crona, whose exhaustion was becoming more and more evident in their movements. She saw Erek stumble and then erratically throw himself out of the way of an incoming blow, narrowly avoiding the fatal mistake she knew he would make sooner or later. She turned back to Sixx. "Do it."

"Good luck, Kayla." Sixx connected to the port. Then the entire world faded away.

Kayla found herself surrounded by a pitch black nothingness so empty, so all encompassing that the smallest movements she made seemed to resound through the dark void. She slowly got to her feet, not even sure of what she was standing on. The nothing below her was as endless as the nothing above and around. "Sixx?!" she called, her call traveling far, "Sixx? Can you hear me?!"

Nothing. Not even an echo.

For the third time in as many minutes, she forced her welling panic back down. It was harder this time. The black nothingness just seemed to drag the terror to the surface. There was nothing around for her to interface with, to manipulate. There was just...nothing. Focus, she told herself over and over again. This was a Vex control space. Not their mind but close. There had to be something, _something_.

" _Oh, look. Somebody left a perfectly good Guardian lying around."_

Kayla spun on her heels, her head frantically swiveling back and forth. A voice. A person. "Hello?!" She called out. "Is somebody here?! Hello?!"

" _Wh…where are you going?"_

Kayla's fists tightened. She recognized that voice. Weak, static but undeniable.

A.J. Maya's Ghost. He sounded so close to death. What _was_ she hearing?

Her mind turned to Praedyth; the Warlock who Ghost spoke so much about. The man whose sacrifice turned Kabr into Wrath. Ghost had played recordings of his voice, so this couldn't have been him. But who else…

" _Do not apologize._ " Ikora now. Was she speaking to Maya?

" _Asura,"_ Ikora's disembodied voice continued, " _You have reclaimed his name from oblivion. In a way, he lives again in the name of the archives."_

" _Kabr, and Pahanin... Praedyth and the Vault of Glass. Because of you, his tale will be told. And because of you, Asura, Wrath can finally have peace. Come home. Let us put them all to rest."_

Praedyth. Ikora shouldn't know about him. And her mind had only turned to him for a second.

Her mind...

Aro and Daniel. She imagined the clearest picture of them she could muster and put all the focus she could muster into it. What came next wasn't simply a voice, ringing out from the darkness but another image. An image that seemed to reflect off the one she had in her head.

A dark room, dimly lit by a small fire at the center. One person sat before it, at the center of the room. Tall and lean with their face obscured by a hood. As the image became clearer, she could just barely see another person sitting on the other side of the first and a third, facing a back wall. A man, she guessed by the long arms and broad shoulders. His head was down, his arms braced against the wall.

Kayla's hand came up, as if she could touch what she was seeing.

Someone must have said something because the man against the wall suddenly spun around, letting Kayla finally see his face.

"Aro," she gasped. She started laughing, relief replacing panic, "Aro!"

The Warlock had his helmet off and and looked like he hadn't slept in years. His eyes had a haunted and horrified look to them in the way they gazed over whoever had just spoken. But he was alive and as the second man's face spent a few seconds in view, she knew so was Daniel.

The image blinked out of her mind so suddenly, she found herself staggered. She was back in the nothingness and somehow, the void itself felt as if it were clipping, like a message through a terrible connection. She could hear the raging fight in the outside world. She was running out of time.

Kayla put the memory of what she had seen to the front of her mind. With her willpower and desperation alone, she forced the vision of the future back to her mind. And when she again felt the instinct to touch what she was seeing, she did not need to bring her hand up. She latched on and she pulled. The darkness around her became more and more violent in its shuttering. Still she pulled. She latched onto the fuzzy image she had of her friends and she held on for dear life until the invisible ground finally slipped out from under her.

Kayla woke with a scream. She blinked to readjust her vision to the light. The sounds of the world slowly came back to her. One voice stood out and woke her completely.

"Kayla, you did it!" Sixx practically screamed, "It's open! It's open!"

From his far distance, in the weariest voice she had ever heard him use and despite being under fire, Erek cheered. Kayla stumbled to her feet and darted around the gate. The blue, white light of the portal hummed and she found herself almost basking in its light. But there was still work to be done.

She'd have to go in, wouldn't she? She'd have to go in, find them and bring them back before Wrath(K) slammed the literal door on their one opportunity.

A dark shape suddenly flew from the portal collided with her. Kayla was knocked off her feet and fell hard to the ground.

"Kayla?" Daniel's voice asked, out of breath. Kayla let out a small laugh that was equal parts relieved and surprised. He scrambled off of her and started to help her up to her feet. She jumped halfway and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He hesitated for only a second in surprise before returning the tight embrace. She'd cry if she could.

Erek's voice cut between them. "Can we do this later?! Plea-shit!" An entire pillar shattered loudly behind them. Daniel staggered back, gaping at the sight, just now seeing Wrath(K) in his giant form for the first time.

"Daniel." His eyes remained on Wrath(K), turning back to her when she said his name a second time, "Where's Aro?"

As if called, Aro stepped through the portal. His gait was stiff, his head was pointed down and his shoulders were tight. Daniel instinctively reached out for him as he trudged closer. Both stopped before they could connect.

Aro's coiled shoulders loosened slightly when he turned to Kayla. "Kayla, I…" he brought his hand up but stopped before touching her, his fingers tightening slightly as if he was recoiling away. His arm slowly dropped, "Thank you," he said, as if nothing happened, "You saved us both."

She didn't have time to ask how he knew she was the one who opened the portal. Aro's focus turned back to the fight. He spared the gargantuan Wrath(K) only a moment's consideration before turning to Crona and who she had been fighting. "Go back up Erek." His voice came out dry and scratchy, as if he had been crying, "I'm going to talk Wrath(A) down."

Before Kayla could so much as attempt to talk him down, he broke off into a run. Daniel started in the other direction, towards Erek and Wrath(K). "Daniel? Daniel, wait!"

"There's no time Kayla!" he said back, "Just...let him do this. Come on!"

She growled in frustration but still she followed. She saw it. The mistake she had been waiting for Erek to make. She watched him drop from the air in a way she knew was unintentional. He hit the ground and rolled, scrambling to find some sort of cover. Wrath(K) roared, bringing his hand up high.

Daniel shot into the air, a speeding, lightning infused bullet. He slammed into Wrath(K) head first, staggering the monster and knocking loose the several large pieces of shining metal that composed Wrath(K)'s jaw. Kayla darted around to where Erek had fallen. She grabbed ahold of him and Blinked him as far away as she could.

Just as she put Erek down, Daniel appeared next to them and raised a Ward, keeping his arms in the air and maintaining his concentration in order to keep it solid.

"Thanks," the Hunter coughed, "Knew I was bound to trip up sooner or later." He looked up at Daniel and rapped his knuckles against his armored back, "Got here just in time."

Daniel's head turned slightly, "I apologize if we worried you."

Erek brushed it off, "Nah." He jostled Kayla, "I knew she could do it."

Wrath(K) was back on his feet again. He twisted around, giving them a full view of his mangled jaw and his hate filled eyes. "What's our plan, Daniel?" Kayla asked.

Before he could answer, a Void blast hit Daniel's shield, causing him to flinch at the sudden force. Then they came more and more often, one after the other. "Same as before!" Daniel bit out through ground teeth, "We need to hold Wrath(K) away from the others. Give Aro time to bring the other Wrath to our side."

"What?! That's stu-" Erek's yelling was cut off by what sounded like a mountain falling. Wrath(K) had shot one of the nearby pillars and sent it toppling down over them. Daniel let out a pained growl. The Ward started to flicker. "Damn it, Erek! There's no time to argue!" Another blast had him dropping to one knee, "We…we need to trust him." The Titan's shoulders were heaving. He said in a quiet, somber tone, "I trust him."

Daniel then lifted back up to his feet, loud with command and determination. "I drop the shield in three! One!"

Erek took a few vicious test swings of his knife, stretching the exhaustion out of his arm. He squat down in preparation to spring away.

"Two!"

" _Sixx…"_

Kayla did not need to finish her question. It was the same answer every time. _"Always."_

Wrath(K) rose up over them, raised both his massive arms and brought them down. "Three!"

The Ward dropped and Wrath(K) hit empty air.

Kayla let the impact add to her momentum, carrying her further away. She dug her heels into the stone, skidding, leaving dust clouds in her wake. Arms thrown back, she gathered her Light and sent it outward and forward as a torrent of brilliant fire.

The considerable blaze did little to hurt the Herald but it had his attention. It's all that mattered for the time being.

* * *

Wrath(A) hit the hard ground with a grunt and rolled. Crona landed where his head had been just a single moment earlier, the weapon on her wrist slamming the ground and creating a crater. She ripped the shield out of the hole she had created and stalked towards him as he scrambled to get to his feet, brutal and untiring in her onslaught.

Wrath(A) brought his knife up and parried the glowing shield away, then he brought the blade back up to deflect her return, creating a shower of sparks each time. He forced her weapon arm downward on the return, needing just that short window of time to hopefully sink his knife into her unguarded neck.

Unguarded it may have been but she was always far from defenseless. Crona let herself be deflected downward only to then shoot bodily forward, forcing her shoulder into Wrath(A)'s chest. The Hunter doubled over and went hurtling through the air, hitting the ground with a hard roll and landing upright.

Crona broke into a run and charged at him. Wrath(A) drew his hand cannon and started to fire off round after round. Crona slowed to a walk, each bullet bouncing off her raised shield as she forced her way closer and closer towards him. When the gun ran dry and the Titan started to pick up speed, Wrath(A) threw all caution to the wind and charged to meet her head on, blade buzzing violently with his Light.

His Light. Asura's Light. Common sense told him there was no distinction. He was far past common sense at this point.

The gap between the two had nearly closed entirely. Wrath(A) braced himself to hold against the impending impact…

Then the world seemed to shift and bend between them, as if reality itself had just been taken by the edges and twisted. Wrath(A) could feel himself forcibly drawn into the small bit of space still left between himself and Crona.

Then the feeling disappeared. And Wrath(A) found himself face to face with the man who started this all.

Time itself seemed to stop. The blue light Wrath(A)'s power reflected brightly off Aro's helmet and even let him see through his pitch black visor. His eyes were not glowing as they always did after the battle on the Moon. The man had just brute forced a rip in the fabric of reality with more whim than Light.

His eyes held such a deep and heavy sadness in them; as if he experienced a lifetime of misery wherever he had been sent in the span of a few minutes. His gaze, full of raw anger and grief, resonated Wrath(A) in a way he did not like in the slightest.

He felt himself forcibly drawn in to Aro again. Only this time, he was violently ejected backwards. His Arc Blade shut down, the stunned Exo shot backwards, further than Crona ever managed to toss him. He kept his momentum until his back made contact with a pillar, smashing off a considerable piece of its base. Wrath(A) braced his hand against the pillar and shakily forced himself to his feet. He laughed weakly. He never realized how drained he was. "So, you've come back."

Aro silently straightened up, taller than Crona, taller than him. The explosions from Wrath(K)'s brutal onslaught on the others shrouded him and Crona in a violet aura. The larger Herald was letting himself go wild behind them but as far as they were concerned, it was just the three of them. When it came down to it, it almost always was just the three of them.

Four, Wrath(A) hurried to correct himself. Not three. Four. Asura remained silent but he could sense the feeling of vindication his other half felt. Vindication and abject elation at Aro's return.

"Wrath." Aro's shoulders slowly started to lower. His voice was weary and meek, as if he were deferring to Wrath(A). "Can we talk? Please?"

"We have nothing to talk about." Wrath(A) spat without thinking. "We never have."

"Aro, he's beyond words," Crona cut in. Aro remained between the two, keeping him away from her and her from tearing into him, "There's no point. We should just kill him and just have Spirit revive him when he can be contained." She tried to push past Aro but his arm held her back.

"Wrath." The way he said Wrath(A)'s name tugged on something within him. His arm slowly lowered away from Crona when he was sure she wouldn't suddenly attack. "Have you ever stopped and thought about the two of us? How alike we are?"

"I can't speak for my past, not like you can," he continued, "But we both became monsters...murderers. You and I managed to ruin the lives of billions upon billions of people that we would never meet and after everything was said and done…" he raised his shoulders in a shrug, "We forgot. We got left alone in a world we knew nothing about, left with only the sparsest memories to be tortured with."

"You're afraid. I understand." Aro's voice remained strong, unwavering and yet painfully tired all at once. He spoke like a man who knew too much, had seen too much. "You feel guilt for actions you can barely remember. Things you did that led to ruin. That you can never undo or even beg forgiveness for. But this isn't you, Wrath. This was _never_ you. And you know it. I know it."

"I don't beg." the Exo snapped, "And you know nothing."

"No. I guess I don't," Aro admitted with a weak shrug of his shoulders. The Warlock's voice was so low as to almost be a whisper but he could still be heard over the thunder of Vex weaponry clashing against Light. Aro pointed back to the Vex gate, "But if there's one thing I've learned in my time trapped in the future, it's that I…I can get worse. And even after the damage I cause has been said and done, there was at least one person who thought I was worth a second chance. We are all worth a second chance as long as we are willing to take it. You don't have to play the part of the monster anymore."

"Is this how you hope to do it? How you plan to get me to your side?" Wrath(A) demanded harshly, "I'm started to think I prefer Crona hitting me. The Heralds _cannot_ be beaten! I am not going to die for people who hate me! I cannot say this enough!"

"But does everyone really hate you, Wrath(A)?"

"Don't you dare start to pretend that you give a shit about me."

"I've never had a chance to," Aro said, "There are times I've been grateful you were around. The Archon on Earth. Sepiks. Saving Katrina and her team. The Summoning Pits."

"Times I was useful."

"Times you were _helpful_ ," Aro corrected, "Times that you showed you were capable of being good. Times I started to believe you can be. Wrath, Asura is our friend and I want him home but…I wouldn't have done all of this if we didn't believe you could be convinced to change."

"None of us would have," Crona murmured.

"But if I come back, I would just be your prisoner." Aro's eyebrows raised the lack of an edge in the Exo's voice, "Yours or the Vanguard's. There's no forgiveness for people like me."

"Maybe," Aro admitted, "But redemption is not forgiveness. I know what I've done. I know what I could do. I destroyed the world and I have the capability to make it even worse. I will spend the rest of my life redeeming myself if need be. Because I am not a monster. Because I don't want to be." Aro drew in a shuddering breath, "Because after I gave someone I cared about proof that I could be nothing else, still he believed. I've gotten more faith put in me than I deserve. The least I can do is give you the same chance."

This man…Wrath(A) had never met a bigger fool. He had abandoned them, joined their enemies. He gave his word to Pride in exchange for his own survival and now he was expected to go against that?

Faith. Something so simple, so unaccountable, so naive.

Something that no other person, in all his lives, had ever had even modicum of in him. He was a thing, not even worth naming. He picked his own name and became a threat. Then he became a murderer.

Images of being drenched in the blood of so many innocents forced their way into his mind. Behind his helmet, his eyes squeezed shut. He could smell it, he could feel it seeping into his very joints. How does someone, how does _anyone_ come back from that?

"Wrath," Aro said, bringing him back to the real world, "I'm offering you this chance, I am meeting you halfway. If you want it, you need to come and take it."

Wrath(A)'s fingers started to tremble. He screamed at himself to draw his weapon, pump this bastard full of lead. Not even his own body listened to him anymore.

A loud crash. Erek's pained yell suddenly cut off. Aro tensed up again, "We can't wait for your decision. And until we have it, we can't have you watching our backs throughout this fight."

A sudden gust of wind whipped Wrath(A)'s hood back off his head. He hadn't even seen Crona move. The Titan's fist slammed into the side of his head, rending the metal of his helmet.

With a yell, Crona sent Wrath(A) flying. He tumbled across the stone beneath their feet until he hit the pillar again, this time toppling it with his impact. Wrath(A) was just barely aware of his limp body hitting the ground. He stared as Crona's feet backed away and Aro slowly approached. Then the world fell away. In the black abyss of his lingering mind, sat Asura; Wrath(A)'s face with bright pink eyes.

"Spirit?" Aro's voice rang in from outside.

"I'm here, Aro. I have control again."

"What?" Wrath(A) yelled into the nothing. At his feet, Asura shrugged. "She decides whether or not to revive us. You can't make her."

"Good," Aro said, "I leave you in charge of him. If you decide he's really ready to help us, then revive him. It's up to you."

"If not," Crona added, "Then hold him there until we beat Wrath(K)." She and Aro started to walk towards the fight.

"Aro. Crona," the Ghost called out, "What if you don't win?"

"We will," Aro said bluntly.

"But if you don't…I understand what I need to do," she said. "Asura does too. And it's been an honor."

Crona's hands balled and she looked away. Then she turned back to the Ghost. "Wrath. Before I told you that you were beyond forgiveness," she said, knowing the Exo would hear, "Prove me wrong. Please. I just want my friend back."

* * *

"They're insane. _THEY'RE INSANE!_ "

"Then why are you the one screaming?" Asura mumbled, watching his other half pace back and forth.

"They should've never come in here!"

"Why?!" Asura demanded, hopping to his feet, "Because you know you're wrong? Because the guilt is driving you mad?!"

Wrath(A) turned and stalked towards him. "There is no forgiveness for people like me. There isn't. There isn't!"

"And yet, here it _fucking_ is!" Asura roared back, "A second chance at life, at happiness, at redemption, just _begging_ for you to take it! Why won't you, Wrath?"

Wrath(A) looked down at his shaking hands and tried, desperately and to no avail to get them to stop.

"Answer me!"

Wrath(A) clutched his head and let out the most anguished scream Asura had ever heard a creature make. "I didn't mean this!" He cried, past the point of hysterics. "I didn't mean for things to go this far! Look at me, look at me! I'm thousands of years old, stuck on some planet I had never even heard of long after I should be dead!" The Exo's crying devolved into whimpers. He sank to a sitting position, wrapped his arms around his legs and rocked back and forth. "My planet is gone. My home is gone. All those people… and it's my fault. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

Asura thought he'd feel a sense of vindication, of victory. Wrath(A) finally felt what he had for years now. But as he watched this man, this piece of him whimper over and over to himself that he didn't mean to, he didn't mean to; Asura couldn't call this a victory.

"It was both of us, you know," Asura said, "I am just as much you, as you are me." He stepped towards Wrath(A) and kneeled, "But this, what Pride plans. This isn't the way. Not for us or anyone like us."

Asura found himself with his hands on his his shoulders. Wrath(A) looked up with wide red eyes, searching his face.

Then his shoulders slumped, his eyes tore away and he spoke in a voice so quiet and weak, Asura could barely hear him.

"Go," he whispered in defeat, "I won't interfere."

* * *

 _Asura's/Wrath's theme is DIVER by Nico Touches the Walls_


	56. VOG XI: Wrath of the Light

_Its short but its probably one of the biggest turning points in the story._

* * *

 _Vault of Glass Part XI:_

 _Wrath of the Light  
_

* * *

Aro ducked under cover, narrowly avoiding a bolt of energy square to the chest; the start of another barrage. He forced himself to ignore the onslaught of teeth rattling blasts from which he was only a few feet of flimsy stone away from.

" _Aro, I don't think we're really hurting him,"_ his Ghost said in his head.

"I know that! You know I know that!" Aro responded out loud, letting Hawkmoon's empty clip slide out and hit the ground. He pushed in the new one and peeked around cover just in time to see Daniel get knocked out of the air and narrowly avoid getting stepped on.

Wrath(K) was taking everything they could dish out and he was doing it in stride. Nova Bombs after Golden Gun shots after anything else the Guardians had at their disposal only served to make the Herald even vicious in his attacks. His movements had an efficient kind of anger behind them, more controlled than his name would imply. Every shot Wrath(K) made, every strike he attempted with his massive arms was deliberate and coldly brutal.

Aro flinched violently as another blast exploded over his head, then he jumped, throwing himself forward to narrowly avoid being crushed by a falling boulder. Wrath(K) had caught up to him, taking one of his mighty arms and swiping through the tall stone pillar. Chunks of its remains rained down like deadly hail as Aro made for another form of cover.

Wrath(K) chased him down, firing shot after shot aimed at Aro's running feet. Picking up as much speed as he could, Aro kept his momentum and dropped to the ground, sliding behind another stone wall, a Void bolt narrowly missing the square of his back. He stopped some distance directly away from the pillar before making a hard run for it. "I'm going to try and bring him down. Get ready to fire!" He ordered the others as he jumped and glided upwards as much as he could. His hands latched onto the edge, allowing him to heave himself upward.

Wrath(K) had been waiting for him and in doing so, had taken his attention off the others. A missile slammed hard into the side of his head. It staggered him, throwing off the aim of his prepared shot and giving Aro a window of a few heartbeats; too small of an opening but it was all he could take.

Just as he has done so many times before. Just as Gluttony taught him in what felt like so long ago. Aro delved inward, into the core of his own mind where his Light was the most concentrated. He touched the surface and delved deeper, deeper until the Light seemed to swallow everything he was within and without.

A deep resounding roar tore itself from the Warlock's throat just as Solar Light burst from his skin. Wrath(K) turned at the sound just in time to get vicious arc of flame thrown square against the side of his head. The Herald reeled, staggered by the sheer force of impact. Aro threw his palms forward, sending another plume of Solar Light billowing outward.

The blast hit Wrath(K) square in the chest, violently twisting him around and throwing him off his balance. The Titan hit the ground hard, shaking the entirety of the Vault underneath their feet with his landing. Sparks flew off of his exposed back and sides as the four others took the opportunity to empty every clip they could manage into the him.

He did not stay down for long. Now when he moved, he moved with anger. He threw his arm at and through the base a stone wall, sending it tumbling to the ground in pieces. Wrath(K) got to his feet with a speed that his enormous stature should have kept from him. He grabbed one of the largest pieces remaining of the ruined stone wall and hefted it off the ground.

"Aro…" Kain's uneasy voice could barely be heard over the roaring in Aro's ears and head. But he didn't need to hear to know that he needed to move.

He didn't want to.

Below, just out of focus, he could see Crona running for him, screaming his name. The metal of Wrath(K)'s torso groaned as he twisted and with a mighty heave, launched the boulder at Aro.

Frozen in place, time seemed to slow as Aro watched as the rock sail through the air towards him. He could hear the others, Crona, his Ghost screaming at him to move. He couldn't.

Just as before, in the dark future he had witnessed. He could only watch, frozen in place as his impending death stared him square in the eye and beared down.

But this time, he was not afraid. This time, he was nothing at all.

Aro brought his hands up and, almost of its own accord, his Light surged forward into the world, roaring like a river through a shattered dam, fully able and willing to decimate anything in its path.

The effect started off small. A small, focused pinprick of the Void in the vastness of the world. But soon it expanded, swallowing more and more of the world around it. A paper thin cut to a massive, howling spherical gash in the fabric of reality. The flying boulder came into contact with the dense Void sphere and froze in space. Then it shattered to pieces. Its pieces shattered to dust, the dust to nothing.

With another roar of exertion, Aro grabbed ahold of the Void and _pushed_. The massive singularity flew forward, tendrils of energy lancing through every structure around its path. It collided with Wrath(K), imploded inward and then burst. The Herald's enormous form was enveloped completely in the bright light of its detonation. A wing wave of energy blew out from the epicenter of the explosion, slicing through the various Vex structures of the Vault as if they were paper. To Aro, the explosion was silent. He couldn't hear a single thing outside of his own head. He couldn't even hear the others trying to stand their ground against the gale force shockwave of his attack.

As soon as it came, it was gone; reality sealing a wound within itself. Wrath(K) was on the ground, flat on his back. The blinding lights that emanated from him, that illuminated his area of the Vault was gone. Wrath(K) was gone, leaving behind nothing but an empty husk.

Aro regarded the sight for a single second before his vision started to swim. He pitched forward, tipping over the edge and falling all the way down from the top of the pillar he had been standing on. Crona tackled him mid-air, catching him before he could hit the ground.

Aro flew out of her hold as the landed and tumbled some distance away. He waited for the world to stop spinning before attempting to stand. After some effort, he got to his feet. He looked back at where he and Crona had left Spirit. The Ghost was still there, floating over the corpse of her Guardian. He turned back to the body of the Herald and finally took in the entirety of what had happened.

Wrath(K) lay prone on the ground. Around him were destroyed pillars, felled either by his falling or by Aro's attack. From where Aro stood, except for the occasional electric spark or subtle twitch of fingers, there was no sign of life to the Herald.

"He's dead?" Erek panted, voicing what they were all feeling. The Hunter was leaning against one such destroyed wall, most likely to keep from keeling over. He laughed bitterly, "Please tell me that he's...that he's _fucking_ dead." He slid to the ground with a groan, "I can't take much more of this."

With significant effort, Aro took one step forward. Then another and another, eyes never leaving Wrath(K)'s body, searching for any overt movement, any sign of life to confirm that everything he could muster had been enough. He wanted what he felt in his core to be wrong. But the world was still too cold, the air too heavy.

"He's still alive." Aro's hoarse voice rang out as he stumbled back. "Get back! He's still alive!" Blinding light suddenly blasted outward from within the Minotaur, forcing Aro to put his arms up to shield his eyes.

Then Wrath(K) awoke. His one eye stared into the space above. Then he unleashed the most horrible scream Aro had ever heard in his life. The entire Vault quaked with the force of the sound. Aro felt it all around him, inside him, threatening to shake him apart. His hands flew to the sides of his head, as if he could cover his ears through his helmet and he fell backwards trying to get away.

Aro scrambled to his feet as Wrath(K) started to thrash violently. Crona ran for him, meeting him halfway and dragging him behind what was left of cover. Brilliant Arc energy emanated from his body and filled the air, booming thunder resonating with his horrible keening. Tendrils of lightning lanced through walls and pillars and even the crystal spires converging on the far end of the Vault. The rage that Aro had noted absent before was here at last.

Now, _now_ he was Wrath.

Wrath(K) charged at Aro and Crona, part running, part scrambling like a rabid animal taken completely by insanity with nothing left in its mind but to kill. Crona put up the Aegis, willed the shield to life and braced. Aro knew there was no point. They would never hold against him and now, with Aro's Light sluggish and drained, they would never get out of his way in time.

"Crona. Crona, we need to move." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled on his Light, tried to force it to obey him. Wrath(K) was stomping closer and closer, a field of electricity surrounding him, vaporizing every single thing in his path.

The full reality of their situation came to Aro. It came in the form of screaming from the others. It came as the Herald's power blinded him.

He had wanted this, had he not? Deep, deep down, he had. He would die and no longer be a threat. The Gate would never be opened. Pride would never corrupt him.

Aashir would live. Daniel would live. They would all live.

Aro planted his feet and pulled on Crona, tried to force her out of Wrath(K)'s path. He would not let her go with him. There were many paths to many futures. If this was what it took to take them off of that one, to avert the eminent end of everything, then what was one life? What was his life?

Aro felt his shoulders go limp. His eyes started to close. He prayed it would be quick. After everything he has seen, he didn't deserve it but still he prayed.

The air before them shifted. Wrath(K) suddenly disappeared from Aro's view, his face obscured.

Time froze. The entire world froze. A figure stood between them and the Herald. Wide legged stance, cape billowing over their heads.

Aro's eyes opened fully again at the sight and he felt his breath leave him. His voice barely had time to leave his throat before the figure turned around and grabbed him and Crona by the shoulder. Then the world bent and twisted around them. Suddenly, Wrath(K) was far away, screaming and senselessly striking the empty ground.

But neither Crona nor Aro had eyes for the raving Titan. It was the smaller Hunter who had captured and kept their attention. Aro's eyes blurred again as the emotion welled up in his throat as he tried to speak.

The Hunter turned and let his helmet disappear. An Exo's pink eyes stared into Aro's brown ones and winked.

"I really, _really_ wish I had a good one liner for this," Asura remarked, tone light and easy in spite of the rampaging monster not too far away. He shrugged, "I had one actually but I didn't get the chance to write it down."

"Asura…" Crona started to stand and reach out for him. Asura grabbed onto her and pulled her to her feet. Still speechless, Aro took hold of his other hand and was pulled up.

"I know the fight's not over and we could very well still die in here but…" Asura paused at looked at both of them, "By the Traveler, it is _good_ to speak to you two again. Aro." He clutched at Aro's shoulder and squeezed, his voice tight with emotion. "You did it."

"Aro! Crona!" The sound of Kayla's voice drew their attention back to the scene unfolding. Cut off on the opposite side of the Glass Throne, her, Erek and Daniel had finally managed to find their way around Wrath and were now running towards them. Erek took one look at Asura and nearly collided with Aro.

"Asura, is that…" Daniel started.

"One and only." The smile in Asura's voice could almost be seen. But his elation was short lived as he suddenly shoved past Daniel, throwing a knife deep into a Vex Goblin that had suddenly appeared behind them.

"We've got Vex filling the area," Kain warned them all, " _A lot_ of Vex!"

Paralyzed Vex units filled the Glass Throne, appearing from thin air, shuddering out of existence and reappearing again. Wrath was tearing the fabric of Vault's reality apart at the seams, drawing in Vex from all across time and space so quickly and forcefully, that it was disrupting them them, preventing them from actually attacking the Guardians.

"It's just like before." Ghost's voice came out weaker than ever before. Even in the presence of her Guardian, she had remained silent throughout the entire fight, trying to save as much of her waning energy as possible. "I remember. In the recesses of my mind, before I truly lost my connection to him," she said, "Atheon. The original ruler of the Vault. Kabr lost himself to his anger and tore Atheon apart. But he died in the process."

Aro peeked around corner again and her words began to connect. "You think it can happen again? If we hurt him enough..."

"We have no other choice," she confirmed, "Look at him. Trying to fight him would be tantamount to suicide. In this state he's in, the only person who could truly kill him-"

"Is himself," Crona finished. The Aegis on her wrist started to glow softly. "I can imbue your weapons with the last of my Light," Ghost said, "But after this…" the glowing light started to pulse, "Guardians, you have to push him over the edge now and hope he takes himself the rest of the way or you will not leave this Vault alive!"

" _Kain."_

" _Weapons primed and ready. Let's finish this and go home."_

"Form up, everyone!" Aro aimed Hawkmoon. Behind him, beside him, weapons were emptied and reloaded with an air of determination and finality. Crona held out to Asura the Super Good Advice machine gun. He took it with a look and a nod. Then she moved to take her place at the front and center and dropped to one knee.

Aro let out a long, shuddering exhale. "Let's finish this," he said, echoing Kain's words, "And then let's go home." He raised his pistol at Wrath's head and fired once.

The bullet pelted off of his metal skull. Wrath(K) stopped in his rampage to look at them for only a second before releasing another ear splitting roar. He started to run at them.

"I'm ready!" Ghost announced. Crona put her arms together and willed the Aegis to life for the last time. The bright white dome billowed out and surrounded them. Hawkmoon started to glow and buzz in Aro's hands with the power of the Aegis.

Wrath(K) drew closer and closer, stomping on and crushing any Vex that had the misfortune to appear in his way. Arc lightning lanced through those farther away, causing them to explode in a shower of radiolaria.

Once again, Wrath appeared over their heads. The only difference, Aro decided, was that this time would be the last time. Pride and all the other Heralds were still out there. Aro would not let things end in here. He refused.

" _FIRE!_ "

The Glass Throne filled with the deafening sound of gunfire. Empowered bullets tore through Wrath's body, punching holes in the metal and causing him to stagger backwards with the force of the onslaught.

Aro kept firing, emptied the clip and reloaded, emptied the clip and reloaded, going through the same routine as all the others. Still, Wrath tried to push through, to fight against the storm of bullets currently ripping his entire body to pieces. Step by step, the Herald drew closer and closer. He brought up his arm, reaching out as if to grab them.

All of a sudden, Asura broke rank. With the Exo's helmet still off, Aro saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye as Asura jumped through the air and landed on Wrath's outstretched arm. Wrath turned his attention to the smaller Exo, his other hand coming up to swat him like an insect. Asura kept moving, he ran up Wrath's arm and jumped high into the air, narrowly avoiding the other hand.

Wrath's eye followed him. With a yell and his knife firmly in hand, Asura burst into brilliant Arc Light; a lightning bolt dropping from the skies. He handed on Wrath's face, sank his buzzing Arc Blade deep into his eye and discharged all the energy he had.

The stray bolts of lightning firing off from Wrath's body grew bigger. They tore through the ground, lanced through the air, shattered the remaining structures that made up the Glass Throne. Asura wrenched his knife out and jumped away, rolling into his landing. Erek ran to meet him halfway and bring him back under the protection of Crona's shield.

Shimmering radiolaria sprayed out from the crack in Wrath's eye. He rocked in place, staggering from side to side. He brought his arm up towards them again when an explosion opened up the side of his torso.

Crona's shield dropped and she fell to the other knee. Another explosion from within Wrath's body wracked him, causing him to jerk to the side.

Aro slowly lowered Hawkmoon as he watched Wrath literally fall to pieces. The bottom half of his head fell to the ground and shattered like crystal. His extended arm blew off at the elbow and went flying over the far edge into the abyss below.

Finally, his center core overheated and exploded as well, causing the Herald to double over and fall backwards. He hit the ground, shaking the entire platform that they were standing on and the upper and lower parts of his body separated.

Wrath's massive, mangled form started to flicker. The severed lower body disappeared into nothingness. Followed by the remains of his severed left arm, then the right and his ruined head. Finally, only the crumpled torso was left, riddled with hundreds upon hundreds of bullet.

Then, in a glow of soft light, it was gone too. In its place remained the Exo Herald. Battered, broken and beaten at last.


	57. VOG XII: The Spark Fades

_Vault of Glass Part XII_

 _The Spark Fades_

* * *

Nothing ever seemed real here. Ever since they first entered the Vault on what amounted to a suicide mission, Aro had never questioned what he was seeing or hearing so often.

Could the Gorgons truly erase them with little but a look? Was the man outside of the Vault, in the hood really who he thought he was?

Was he really destined to what he witnessed in the future? Was this his only path, to turn himself over to the Darkness and kill everyone he had ever grown to care about for a peace that came through brutal oppression by his own hand?

All of it seemed impossible and yet the trueness of the first would probably be burned into his mind for the rest of his life. Hoping the second would not be was simply wishful thinking; for the naive and desperate. Time would tell if the final one would come to pass just as the others had.

This was different. Here behind him was his team, his clan, his family, whole once more. Here was the result of their training, their lying, their sacrifices, Asura returned and Wrath(A) renouncing the Heralds for the final time. Before him, was Wrath(K), broken down to his normal size, which now seemed so small, lying prone on the ground, broken into pieces.

This was different. This was something Aro was seeing that should've been impossible but he begged, _begged_ it to be true.

He was tired. He wanted to go home.

Wrath(K), his mouth was moving. His body lay in pieces, one arm severed at the shoulder, the entire lower half of his body completely separated and he wasn't healing. He had to be dead or dying. Aro remembered Gluttony, fading away into dust and then into nothing. He wondered if this was how they all died.

"You...you should have never taken Pride's offer, Wrath," Wrath(K) rasped out. Aro had studied recordings of Kabr ever since learning of him and Kabr had always spoken in a deep, rumbling monotone without even the slightest lilt of emotion. Now, the Titan's voice sounded so normal, lowered and flattened with his apparent exhaustion and sadness.

If Wrath(A) heard him, Asura made no indication that he did, nor did Wrath(A) himself make an appearance. Wrath(K) continued, "I offered it anyway though I knew it wouldn't work, I knew I wouldn't be able to turn you back into the Herald you were before. You and Asura are one and the same. You cannot be separated." The back of the Titan's head scratched audibly against the stone under it as he turned his head to look at them. His flickering red eyes connected with Aro's and held them.

"Pride ordered me to try. To find a way. I guess I've truly proven to him the uselessness of the Vex to his plans and humanity's future." Wrath(K) laughed bitterly. Another first.

Aro's mind flashed back to the future; the fate of the Vex should Pride succeed. "Pride. Who is he?" His voice sounded rough and unfamiliar even to his own ears.

"You'll find out soon enough," The Herald dismissed, turning back to face the air above him.

"Tell me now, Wrath." Aro's voice became louder and clearer with anger, "Who he is has been the one thing torturing me the most since I first woke up. Tell me now!"

"I am dying," he said, "With my death goes the power to control the Vault. It is lost to both Pride and the Vex. Maybe forever. The ability to maintain its separation from our reality also rested with me and now it dies with me. Focus, Guardians," he said quietly, his eyes closing for a few seconds, "I know you can feel it."

Silence permeated the group as heads swiveled and eyes met. Then Kain spoke up. "Aro….he's right," he said, with no small hint of awe and joy, "I can detect our ships. I can connect to it! We can transmat you all out of here."

Relief hit Aro like a Cabal shield to the chest. It was when he felt a hand clutch his shoulder did he realize he had almost fallen over. The door was open. They could go home.

Then he remembered what was out there. "Kain. Mira, Aashir, Katrina and the others. Can you sense their Ghosts? Them? Anything?" he asked urgently.

"No. I'm sorry, I can't."

"None of us can," Erek's Ghost spoke up.

"They could've left, Aro," Crona suggested, "Who knows how long we've been in here."

Aro decided he would hold onto that. The hope that they all got away safely and were now being very harshly reprimanded by the Vanguard. He didn't think he could handle it otherwise. "That doesn't explain why you won't tell me who Pride is."

"All of you can leave whenever you wish," Wrath(K) said, "And at the same time, Pride and the other Heralds can come in." He looked back at Aro and repeated his words, "You will find out soon enough."

Pride was coming. All the fear and dread that they had been holding onto since coming in quickly came crashing back. A large hand that could only be Daniel's hit his back and Aro felt himself leaning his weight into it. It was only after did he realize he had been about to fall over a second time. Behind him, he could hear Kayla rubbing her arms as she held herself; the telltale sound of a gun loudly cocking and rapid footsteps as Erek began to pace back and forth.

"Might I suggest you resist the temptation to run?" Wrath(K) said, "If you want to see Pride, you'll stay here and wait for him. I believe he is done hiding."

Aro was jarred out of his daze by a rough hand wrenching his arm and shaking him. "Aro, we need to leave," Crona said through tightly clenched teeth. Her hand on his arm was shaking. "We can't stay here. We can't fight Pride."

She was right. Of course she was right but…he had to know. "All Ghosts, prep the ships for an immediate warp jump," he ordered quietly, turning to look at the others behind him. "Stay wary. Be prepared for an immediate transmat should the need arise." He looked at Crona, "I'm sorry but I have to know. What I sa-" he stopped. He hadn't done any kind of preparation for telling the others about what he and Daniel learned in the future. No accounting for how they would take it or how they would react. "What I've been seeing. In my dreams. My face. Where Pride is supposed to be standing among the Heralds," he decided to say , hoping they wouldn't take his pause as a sign of lying. He wasn't. Not entirely. "I need to know."

Slowly her grip loosened on his arm and then fell to her side, acquiescing against her better judgement. They would wait.

"Why, Wrath(K)?" Asura suddenly asked, breaking the long, apprehensive silence that had followed.

The Titan's head slowly turned back to them. "Why what, Hunter?"

"Why…" Asura spread his arms out, indicating the expanse of destruction around them. "Why _everything?!_ "

"I was angry, if you can imagine," Wrath(K) started, "Humanity took you and made me. Then the Traveler came along and I was... _discarded_ ," he spat with no small amount of acid. "Like children with a new toy to replace the old one that never worked. Then the Gate opened, the Darkness came, I died and I was born again."

A bitter laugh echoed into the air, laced with static. "You would think the Traveler would take mercy on me. Wipe my memories completely, fix me, make me more...or at least less like myself. No such luck, eh Asura?"

Asura's eyes shifted away but he remained silent.

"You, or you and Wrath were different," he went on, "I saw a chance for change within you. I just didn't know what kind."

"You're dying, Wrath(K). You couldn't change me and you couldn't make Wrath(A) into the monster you wanted. You failed." When Asura did speak, his voice was harsh, biting. He couldn't care less that the Titan had only moments left. Despite all they had been put through, Aro felt some kind of sympathy for the dying Herald. Then again, he hadn't just spent months as a prisoner in his own mind.

"You're right, Asura. I couldn't," Wrath(K) agreed, taking all his anger in stride. "And to be honest, I don't think I truly expected to. Wrath(A) isn't that kind of man. Not anymore."

"But you tried!" Asura suddenly exploded, pushing away from the group. When Aro reached out to grab him and pull him back, he was roughly shaken off. "That's what matters, Wrath(K)! You kidnapped me! Tortured me! Tried to kill me and my Ghost!"

Wrath(K) stared at them in silence for a long time. His eyes moved between each and every one of the Guardians, as if he could see their faces through their helmets. When he finally spoke again, there was no defense, there was no deflection of blame; something he most likely had full right to do. Instead he just said, "I know. I apologize for what you suffered. For causing it, if that means anything."

"It doesn't," Asura shot down.

"And I don't blame you." Wrath(K) turned back to the sky, "Have the both of you, Wrath(A), Asura, ever wondered why you were brought back together?" he asked them, "Why did the Traveler bring you back together? Asura is Wrath(A), before the hate, before your own Pride, before the Darkness." Wrath(K) let out a soft chuckle, "For all intents and purposes, Wrath(A) should not exist, not anymore. And yet here you are."

He continued, "The Speaker, I always went to him with my most personal questions. He had always told me that the Traveler chooses each and every one of us for a very specific reason. That it puts this purpose into the minds of our Ghosts and has them seek us out. Maybe…" he let out a small weak sigh. Aro had nearly forgotten the amount of pain he must have been in, "Maybe for some of us….our purpose is a second chance? To do what is right or to live a better life. Arochukwu?" The use of Aro's full name jarred him out of his lull, "What do you believe? Why do you believe the Traveler, your Ghost, chose you? Wouldn't it had just been better to leave you dead?"

Aro lifted his arms and stared down at his gloved hands. In the span of a blink, he felt Aashir's dead weight pressing down on them again. "I don't know," he said, voice cracking. He lowered his hands, arms trembling slightly, "I don't know. Maybe it would have but...I'm here. And I'm going to make the best of it. I will...be better than whoever I was before."

"Then I wish you luck. Sincerely, I do. Personally, I don't know if I can say the same," Wrath(K) said. There was an air of finality to him now. His time was up and he knew it, "I didn't realize it before. Or even the first time I died forever. I was a Guardian, a Titan. A good one, so I was told. I fought to protect my City, my planet, to do what was right. I did what I believed was the reason I was brought back. I don't regret it, of course but...what if that was never my reason? Or my only reason? The Speaker guided me, always offered an ear. Lord Saladin, Shaxx, Ikora, there for me even when I was not there for myself. Osiris was distant at first but even he warmed up. He was a friend in the end. His Ghost, little Sagira, was the reason for that, so I always heard. I met Pahanin. I met Praedyth. And even though I didn't see it then, I see it now; they loved me. And I loved them back." Wrath(K) let out a small laugh, "I was happy. And I didn't know it. I didn't let myself have it."

Another gasp, mixed with a sob. "Why did it take so much for me to realize it? Why did I have to lose everything to see it? Now I am here at the end. Osiris is missing. Pahanin is dead while his murderer lives. I...I couldn't save Praedyth. I couldn't. I tried everything and I- I couldn't." The amount of shame, the dejection in his voice twisted Aro's heart like a soaked rag.

"I want to see my Ghost again," Wrath(K) muttered to himself. "I miss her. I want to see her again, to hear her voice. Tell her-"

Crona suddenly let out a pained yell. She doubled over and fell to her knees, clutching her arm tightly. Erek caught her before she could fall to her back. "Crona? Crona, what's wrong? Sol?!" Aro called to her Ghost.

"I don't know!" the Ghost bit out, as if he was in pain too.

"Kabr?" The voice was so weak and quiet, none of them were sure they had actually heard it. But they did. Crona lifted her arm, staring at Maya's bracelet and Kabr's Ghost attached to it. The Aegis pulsed and Crona groaned again, curling in on herself.

The Aegis released a quick but blinding flash of light that had the others reeling. As quick as it came, it dropped and the Aegis was no more. Ghost had forced herself off of the armband. Considering the effect, it must have taken a great deal of her effort and her remaining strength. "Crona?" he muttered again.

"I'm fine now," she answered, still clutching her arm.

"Kabr," she said again as she started to drift towards him, "Kabr, look at me. I'm here. I'm here." Her one concern, her main goal was here before her. And both of them were running out of time.

"Ghost…my Ghost." He watched with wide eyes and an open mouth as she slowly and shakily crossed the distance between them.

"Look at you, Kabr," she scolded mournfully, "I never should have left you. Now you've gone and broken yourself and I…" Ghost suddenly dropped from the air, landing on the ground with a weak grunt. Wrath(K) reached out his long arm and took her in hand, slowly dragging her closer to himself and placing her on his chest. "I can't fix you," she finished tearfully, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Ghost. I am happy," he told her, "You helped them find me. You helped them beat me. You helped them make me see. I am happy. I always was."

"Oh Kabr…"

"Thank you, my Ghost. For finding me; now and the very first time. For choosing me. For giving me a second chance to live a better life. Thank you."

Ghost's eye remained on his face. Then it blinked, ,once and then twice. The blink became a flicker then the flicker ceased completely.

Wrath(K) let out small, strangled gasp. The parts of his body that had been severed had faded into dust and again into nothing. The effect crawled up his remaining arm and torso, the hand still tightened over Ghost disappearing first.

"Thank you," he whispered to the empty shell. The top of his head began to break down. He turned his head to the Guardians, taking them in with the last few seconds he had and then repeated his words once more.

" _Thank you."_

Wrath(K) faded away with a long and weary sigh. Not one of a man dying but one who was tired and was simply content to finally be able to sleep. They all watched. They felt relief but very little victory, if any at all.

But maybe there was some. A Herald was defeated, there were only five left now.

A Ghost got to say goodbye to her Guardian and a Guardian to his Ghost, years upon years after they were forced to seperate. Ghost deserved some small bit of happiness for what she suffered, for how she helped them. And Wrath(K)...Kabr….he deserved that much in the end.

"Aro?" Crona called his name. The softness of her voice made it clear she had been crying. "Ghost's shell. Can we…"

Aro looked at the tiny thing, a small white speck on the dark ground. "Yes. Please."

Crona jogged for it, coming to a stop and walking the last few steps. She stared at her small cracked frame and felt her eyes well up again. Crona slowly knelt down and reached out.

The shell slid away. Crona stumbled over in surprise. Ghost's shell slid further back closer to the shadows and suddenly flew up, through the air and disappeared into the shadows at the back of the Vault.

There was the tell-tale sound of a hand catching it.

Approaching footsteps, slow and methodical, reached their ears. Louder and louder it became until they could feel each foot fall in their chest.

Bright red eyes pierced the shadows, drawing closer and closer with each echoing step.

Crona scrambled backwards in panic. She got to her feet and ran backwards towards the group, grabbing Asura's hand to let herself be pulled in. Aro felt Daniel's hand grab and squeeze his shoulder, half out of an instinct to protect and half out of sheer terror.

"Look at this place. I missed quite the fight." A voice; calm, strangely accented and completely unfamiliar.

Asura let out a shuddered gasp. He turned to Aro, hands grabbing both of his shoulders roughly. "Aro, I saw Pride. I know who he is, I know-"

"Asura, please." The voice was soft but it was enough to silence the Exo completely. "You already broke a promise to me. Stealing my big moment? That is just insult to injury."

The footsteps came to a stop. The voice's face finally broke through the darkness.

Aro stared.

His own face smiled back.

"You," Aro breathed, "You're here. You followed us."

Dark brows knitted together in confusion.

"We saw you!" Aro exploded, "In the future! You're me!"

"Ah," the man surveyed the destruction of the Glass Throne again, "Can I assume half of these pillars were broken with your skull?"

"Aro." Daniel's voice was a shaky whisper but still it cut through him like a blade.

He remembered what they had seen. His future self, pointing them to the portal. The cloaked man in the pit, cradling Aashir's dead body.

Why? Why would Pride care about Aashir?

"Who are you?"

The man with Aro's face, his hair, his nose but not his eyes looked him up and down and said nothing.

"Who...are you?" Aro shakily asked again.

"I am Pride." He spread his arms out slightly. Same height, similar build. It was like looking into a mirror.

"No...you can't be. I saw you. In the future. In my dreams. You were me."

Pride gave a small smile, the hand holding Ghost's shell fell to his side. He took a step forward. All six Guardians took one back. He paid the others no mind. He had eyes for only one. "Arochukwu," he said his name. The smile took on a hint of amusement, "'Aro'. Do you believe that? Look me in my eyes….and say that again."

He was questioning again. Everything he was seeing, everything he was hearing. Everything he had ever seen or heard. And he was begging.

This can't be real. _This can't be real_.

"My name is Pride," he said again. His voice took on a sincere tone, one that left no room for doubt. "But before that? Aro, before all of this, I was...I am your younger brother. Your twin brother." Pride let out a soft but long sigh, as if a massive weight had just been lifted off of his shoulders.

Aro was the opposite. He couldn't breathe and felt as if the weight of the world had come crashing down.

"Before all of this, my name was Kain. Aro. Brother. You've been gone for a very long time. And I've spent just as long waiting for you."

* * *

 _The antag is the protag's long lost twin sibling. I love cliches, don't you?_

 _Kabr's/Wrath the Striker's theme is Unravel by Animenz (Tokyo Ghoul OP 1)_


	58. He's My Brother

_Pride has a West African accent and "Arinze" is pronounced "Ah-rin-zeh". Unbetaed_

* * *

 _He's My Brother_

"You know….I had a feeling you'd react like this," Pride said, smiling slightly, "I've even had a joke ready for a good century now. 'You look like you've seen a ghost' I would say. But now that I've said it, I realize how much better it sounded in my head." He started to pace back and forth, each footstep jarring in the silence, like a strike to the skull.

For every question Aro had managed to answer regarding his past, new ones cropped up in their place. His past, the present, his entire life, then and now, was a puzzle that refused to make sense no matter how he tried to make the pieces fit.

This was the missing piece. Here, pacing in front of him, cracking jokes to Aro as if his entire world hadn't been just turned on its head.

Kain. Pride. The Herald stopped, looked at him and Aro could've sworn he saw a slight sadness enter his deep red eyes. "You really remember nothing, do you." The Herald sighed, "A whole life, a whole history. You and me. Gone, just like that."

Aro's voice finally returned, shaky and cracking. "I...I don't understand," he stammered, "How…"

"How?" Pride repeated. His accent was so unique and strange to Aro and yet so terrifyingly familiar. Did he used to sound like that? "I figured that was obvious. You and I opened the Gate in attempt to bring the Darkness here." He looked back at Aro, "But I guess you already knew that."

"How?" Aro bit out, "Why?"

That wiped the small smile off Pride's face. "Why?" he repeated, "I'm afraid I can't give you that answer in a way you would understand."

"Try," Aro ordered, his voice more forceful now, "Try and explain. Try and explain why you….why I would do _any_ of this!"

Pride watched him. Watched him heave for breath, watched him struggle to remain standing before he let out a long sigh. "I guess you could say we wanted to make the world better."

The world that was to come flashed before Aro's eyes. Terrified peace and ragged rebels being hunted and killed like infesting insects just a walk away. "Better?" Aro whispered, more to himself, "No...no, this...this is not better. You lie! This cannot be better!"

Pride scowled at that. The red of his eyes seemed to burn holes into Aro's skin. "This, Arochukwu," he spat, once again using Aro's full name, "This was not the plan. The plan we agreed on. The plan you came up with!" He pointed one long finger at him before seeming to remember himself and slowly lower it. When Pride spoke again, his voice was softer, "I don't know what came over you...on that day. Regret. Guilt. Cowardice. But it brought us here." His voice hardened again, "I am simply fixing _your_ mess."

Aro's mouth opened and closed. Underneath his helmet, sweat ran down his forehead. He wanted to take off his helmet, shed his armor, shed his entire life.

"But that is not a conversation for right now," Pride said, taking Aro's attention again. Pride's eyes finally left Aro and looked behind him, "Not in front of your...friends."

Aro's head swung around. In the revelation, he had forgotten the others. Now, watching them, he wished he could see their faces. See how badly they were taking this sudden reveal.

And, he had to selfishly admit, see if anything had changed in the way they looked at him.

Daniel's shoulders were heaving, his free hand balling into a tight fist, opening and then closing again. The hand holding his gun was trembling; with exhaustion, with fear, with shock at the sight before him.

Pride's voice, clear and powerful, unmarred by exhaustion or the barely restrained terror that the rest were feeling. "You know, the reason I revealed myself now is because you, brother, have proven more trouble than I expected you to," he said, "Do not get me wrong, I expected you to. I was simply unprepared for this extent. Yet here we are, two of my men dead and faded."

For the first time, a member of Aro's team spoke up. He wasn't at all surprised that it was Kayla. "Your men?" She was able to quell the shaking in her voice, present only in the tiniest tremble, "You enslaved them. You practically torture them!" Greed's temporary capture and the resounding after effects remained burned in all their minds.

Pride's gaze bored into her own. "I have done nothing they didn't choose for themselves," he said easily, "I offered them a deal and they took it. Had they chosen otherwise, they could have just said no and died right there. Can your Traveler say the same, little Warmind? Did it ask your permission before resurrecting and sending you out to die over and over again in its name?"

Pride turned his attention back to Aro, evidently less than interested in any of the others present. "I admit that I also did not expect the Reef to be told of my existence," he continued, his tone light and easy, conversational even. "Certainly not after the disaster of their joint effort against the House of Wolves. But when I suddenly started hearing your voice in my head, I knew you had somehow gotten close again. I was not prepared and by the way Envy reported your fighting, neither were you." Pride grinned slightly, "I do hope the nightmares did not cause you too much trouble."

"It's been you" Aro realized, "This whole time, you're the one I've been hearing. The voices, the faces in my dreams. Why..." he reminded himself to breathe, "Why whenever I dreamed of Pride-"

"You saw yourself?" Pride finished, smile growing just a bit wider.

It was that smile, Aro's own smile and Aro's own face on the person who had caused him and everyone he cared for so much misery that caused his fear to recede and give way to something stronger. "And it's been you," he went on, voice filled with barely restrained anger, "Every fight I've lost control, every time I've nearly hurt someone, it's been you!"

Pride's smile faltered at that.

"What are you trying to do to me, Pride? Are you trying to turn me into a monster like you?" When Pride remained silent, Aro nearly felt a vein in his temple pinch, " _ANSWER ME!"_

"No." Pride pointed at him, his voice rising, "You _do not_ get to blame that all on me. The rage, the loss of control, the violence. My presence may be bringing it out of you but all of that is you, Aro. It was you." His arm lowered. "It was you," he said again, "It's how you always were when we were young. Blunt at best, brutal at worst. This...new...supposedly _kinder_ you, it's unfamiliar. Almost jarring."

Pride's hand came up to rub his jaw and he turned away slightly, facing the shadows again. "You're not the only one who has been feeling different recently. I myself admit to some...sentimentality." He turned back, gaze noticeably softer, ,"As badly as I expected this to go, I...have missed speaking to you, Aro."

Aro stammered, "I-I...I don't-"

"But Aro, you should know," he cut him off, "This is the last time. You and your people have killed _two_ of my Heralds Aro. _Two_."

Aro heard the sound of guns cocking behind him and felt power rising in the air. Pride went on, "I am sparing your team for now but the next time any of you cross me, you will die. It is that plain and that simple."

Aro attempted to speak, to throw Pride's threat back into his face, blatantly lie that they will be ready for him when the time comes. But then, in the space between them, the world seemed to rend apart from itself. Four swirling spheres of cold blackness manifested and grew in size until they all suddenly popped open.

Hawkmoon slipped from Aro's hands and clattered to the ground. Kayla gasped loudly and would have dashed forward had Erek and Daniel not held her back.

Mira, Aashir, Katrina and all their fireteams. Pride had just casually tossed their bodies at Aro's feet as if they were trash to be kicked off of his shoes.

"You…" Aro started to hyperventilate, horror and anger and guilt crushing his chest, "What did you do? _WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!"_ Aro bellowed, straining his throat raw. Fire started to swirl around his arms, around his twitching shoulders and trembling hands. He didn't care for his own weariness or his own fear. In that moment, he wanted Pride dead at his feet and the entire world on fire.

He lead them here. This was his fault.

But Pride put his hands up, "Woah, woah! They are fine," the Herald said. Aro's fire snuffed itself out. "Yes, reel it in. I'm just suppressing their Ghosts, preventing them from reviving."

Rage left him and exhaustion retook it's hold on Aro's body, causing his vision to swim. "I did not come to fight, Aro. I'd very much rather not. Simply to speak and…" Pride took a step towards the bodies lying in the space between them and Aro lit up again. Pride just watched him, watched the fire dance around his frame and sighed. "Fine. I guess we are done talking then."

The Herald shook out his arms and hands, squaring his shoulders. His eyes faced the ground and his chest seemed to heave with exertion. Aro felt it in his gut; something was about to happen.

Pride's head shot up to face them again. His eyes shone bright orange, creating a stark contrast in the darkness. Just like Aro, angry fire began to dance around his body. Just like Aro, every person around him could feel the sheer power rising in the air, overwhelming the senses and keeping attention.

And just like Aro, the flames swirled up to his mouth and blasted out.

The Guardians either threw themselves to the ground or were knocked down by the force of the blast. The spear of fire flew over their heads and smashed into the back wall containing the opening that connected their area to the rest of the Vault. A stunned Aro stared upwards as the blast sent massive chunks of stone flying into the air and crashing down around them. Daniel threw himself over Aro and his Void dome hummed to life above their heads.

Pride's head moved and the beam moved with him, carving a path of destruction along the few structures of the Glass Throne that hadn't been destroyed in their brutal fight against Wrath(K). Even from the distance and through the Ward of Dawn, Aro could feel Pride's raw, unbridled power and had a sinking feeling that this wasn't even the half of it. Pride said he didn't want to fight and witnessing this, Aro felt as a solid pit in his stomach that they should be grateful.

Pride's mouth snapped shut, the fire fading away. He brought up his black clad arms and color of his eyes changed from a fiery orange to a cold violet. It started small, hole of the Void in the world poked in by a needle but it grew. The dark purple, swirling, howling sphere of the Void before them rose up into the air and started back towards the crystal pyramid that had served as Wrath(K)'s control center before his passing. The remaining spires that converged to form the pyramid began to fracture and crack like glass. They all shattered completely in a burst of sound and blinding light, the remains drawn into the Pride's black hole and breaking down into nothing. Pride was destroying the Vault and he was doing it single handedly.

"We had a contingency plan, Wrath and I," Pride said, his voice loud in the deafening quiet, "Should something happen to him, the Vex would move to take the Vault back."

He raised his arms at the destruction around them, "They would seal off the Vault and spent the next several hundred years recreating a Time's Conflux and then another several thousands repairing the what you and I have destroyed."

Pride then seemed to build up strength again. Aro heard a buzzing sound, like a generator powering up, making every hair underneath his armor stand up on end. Aro's eyes widened as blue sparks danced around Pride, who had his eyes closed and was smiling softly to himself.

Pride's eyes opened. Bolts of Arc lightning snaked out and danced around his head.

For the first time in a long while, Aro's Ghost spoke up. " _That's…."_

"Not possible," Aro muttered.

Pride threw up his right hand and unleashed what had to be the biggest bolt of lightning any of them had ever seen. It illuminated the entire Glass Throne; there wasn't a single shadow or even dark corner to be found anywhere. The bolt lanced between still active circuits and vex machinery, overloading them and causing them to explode in a blinding shower of sparks.

Pride looked elated, almost entranced. With his eyes shining sharp Arc blue he slight bit of space in his parted lips and the electricity coursing all around his body he looked even less of a human than being Pride had already made him.

Despite it all, Aro found himself enthralled by the sight. It hypnotized him just as much as it struck fear into his heart. The thunderbolts soon thinned and shimmered out of existence. Aro had to blink for his vision to readjust but when it did, there still stood Pride with the last of the working parts of the Vault of Glass falling to derelict pieces around him.

Pride chest expanded, as if he was taking a deep breath and calming himself down. The Herald no longer needed to breathe, haven't needed to in a long while but even after centuries, this was a reflex that would not go away. Then he said, "Aro, I make this offer."

With Daniel's help, Aro got back to his feet, his gaze never leaving Pride's.

"I wish just to talk," Pride stated, his voice becoming sounding surprisingly sincere, "Come find me. Talk with me, Aro. Then after, you can make the decision of whether or not to join me."

The future Aashir's dead body forced its way to the front of his mind. The current one lay nearly at his feet, piled atop his team like refuse. "Why...would I _ever_ join you? Why would I even want to speak with you?" Aro demanded, "Are you completely out of your mind?!"

Pride took his raging in stride simply shrugged and said, "Because I can give you back your memories."

Those few words was all that was needed to shut Aro up. He had known that something resulted in the future they had witnessed, something had happened or been given that was enough to convince Aro that he should betray everyone he had come to care about and destroy their world as they knew it.

Even now, he could feel the eyes of the others on his back. They knew as well as he that what he wanted more than anything was answers. A reason for or a cause behind the madness he had had found himself at the center of since his revival. Was it worth the world? The fact that Aro found himself even so much as _considering_ the choice did nothing to ease his already frayed nerves.

"I simply want to talk to you, Arochukwu," Pride said again. His hands clasped behind his back, "Not as enemies or even players in this game between the Dark and the Light. But as who we were before," he explained, "And then I will give you the choice and no matter what, Aro, I will honor it."

Aro moved to speak but Pride went on, "But no matter what, I will complete what I set out to do. What _we_ set out to do," he said. His tone became darker, "I will open the Gate. I will bring the Darkness here. I will rid this system of the Light and I will finally bring true peace and security to our people. It is up to you to decide if you want to stand side by side with me, as we always did or if you will make me watch the last member of my family, the last person I ever cared about, die again."

Pride's last sentence indeed stunned Aro but it was the way he sounded when saying that shook Aro to his core. His voice was laced with an emotion Aro couldn't place; grief, disappointment, guilt or the like. Aro's hand came up and clutched at his chest, which had started to ache.

"Our mother. Her name was…was Evelyn," he said to Aro, his eyes becoming sad and distant, "Our father was Arinze. And I think about them both every day." Aro's heart was hammering painfully in his chest and yet Pride's words rang loud and clear in his ears, "If you decide you don't want to know what happened before, if you don't want to talk to me, you should at very least know that. You...and they deserve that much."

Then, as if it were never there, the emotion disappeared. In its place, a bored, apathetic amusement. As if he hadn't just admitted how personally important this reunion was to him. He had said he was feeling sentimental but the mask was so firmly in place, Aro could be brought to believe that he had been lying.

"Take your friends and leave the Vault of Glass, Aro," he ordered turning on his heels and retreating towards the dark. "We will speak again. Until later, brother."

Aro reached out, as if he could stop him "Wait…no!" he screamed, "Pride! _PRIDE!_ "

Hands folded behind his back, Pride turned to regard him once more out of the corner of his eye before he stepped back into the shadows. Aro watched him disappear and then felt his presence fade after. Air forced its way out of his lungs. His knees buckled. It was Asura caught him before he hit the stone.

He was calling his name. His Ghost was calling his name. They all were; panicked voices in his ears but still sounding so far away.

It was bright. Aro could feel the sun burning his face so good, he nearly smiled. There was wind rushing over and cooling his head while indistinct voices hummed behind him.

Aro was happy, excited, elated even. He felt so young and carefree, his shoulders never knowing the burden of the weight he carries now.

A massive hand landed on top of his head, rubbing it. The person was taller than him and was rough, making his head shake with the action. But deep down, he knew it was playful, loving even.

Next to him was someone else, with a face and a bright smile that was foreign to him and yet, more familiar than anything else in the entire world. A face that felt like home.

Then it faded. Happiness and clarity dangled in front of him then snatched away like some kind of cruel joke. Cold, hard metal replaced warm hands. The sound of the wind replaced by his own heart in his stomach and several people begging him to wake up.

"Wh-what? What is it?" His arms flailed out and were quickly taken hold of.

"Aro, can you hear me?!" Crona was shaking him.

"Yes. Yes, I can hear you!" He used the pair of arms he was in to push himself up. Daniel simply and silently let him, "I just fell. Why are you worrying about me?! What about the others?!"

It was Kain who answered. "Aro, the second Pride left, your heart stopped."

Aro's eyes tore away from Crona and locked into his Ghost, floating in front of him. He shook his head, "No. No, I just fell down-"

"Your adrenals have been going crazy since we got in this Vault, Aro," Kain cut him off sternly, suddenly moving closer, "I've tried to keep it even but seeing Pride made you spiral out of my control. Then your brain just… _shut down_!"

Aro's hand came up to his chest and his heart started to hurt again. He forced it down, pushed himself away from Daniel and ran towards the center, where the bodies of the others had been placed. Kain was over his shoulder, silent as he contacted each and every Ghost, ensuring that they were still in working condition and that they were working to revive their Guardians.

Aro dropped to his knees before Mira, watched the subtle rise and fall of her chest. He got her into this, he told himself again; he got all of them into this.

"Aro?" Kayla's voice was soft, almost pitying of him. He'd rather have her anger. "What do you want us to do?" she asked.

Aro turned away from her back to Mira. Then Shino, Sora, Aveline and all the others before finally landing on Asura, still bare faced, squatting down before the bodies before them. Asura looked back.

Not Wrath(A), not some monster cleansed of all memories of their time together but Asura. He was here, they were all alive and another Herald no longer was. Their work was done.

"Home," Aro finally said. He touched Shino's shoulder and the big Awoken man stirred slightly. "We...we leave this place. And we go home."

* * *

 _What is Pride the god of again?_

 _I'm sorry, I had to make the joke. Three chapters left after this_


	59. Aftermath Part I

_Aftermath Part I_

In the span of a breath, Aro was behind the pilot's chair, his chair, in the shadows of the dimly lit cockpit, floating in the void of space. Below him was Venus, a shimmering green gem that would haunt his nightmares for months to come.

It seemed an impossible task. Defy the most direct of orders, break into one of the most dangerous and unstable places in the solar system just to rescue one man. A man who meant the world to them, yes but still one man.

And they did it. Aro grabbed the back of the seat, feeling his knees tremble as the full realization finally hit. They got in and they got out, all of them; something Aro felt would have been too much to pray for but it had happened. To call it a miracle did not seem to do it justice.

Aro's eyes flicked up to the windshield, his own gaunt reflection staring back at him. A layer of stubble he didn't even feel growing, bags under haunted eyes; he looked a mess.

The reflection of his eyes flashed red.

Aro's hand flew up them with a strained whimper, blocking his vision. His legs began to shake even more and he fell to his knees.

Pride was his brother. His younger brother, his identical twin. This whole time, there was someone out there. The laughter he would hear in his head, the shouting in his dreams, proclaiming his resurrection. Now he had a face to the voice and the face was his own.

He felt something small nudge his face, "Aro. Sit down in the chair." Kain nudged him again. Aro sluggishly moved to obey, pulling himself to his feet and spinning the chair around to drop into it.

"Kain, I….I don't…"

"Pride is my namesake. I guess he was the one to wrap that rag around your leg." the Ghost's voice was calm and surprisingly rational. But just as Kain could feel Aro's innermost thoughts, Aro could say the same. The storm of emotion inside of him was matched. Kain's shell spun around his core slightly as he floated to the windshield. "It makes sense now. Something that has been bothering me for a while."

"What is it?" Aro wanted to sit up and lean closer but his body refused to respond, "Kain, tell me. Please."

Kain's eyes stayed on the windshield, focusing on the planet below. "On the day I found you, minutes before I found you, I had been going through a field of derelict vehicles," he said, "Some of them had corpses. People died inside them."

Aro felt some strength return and adjusted himself in the chair, letting Kain continue. "When I found your body, it seemed so...out of place. I can't describe it but where you were positioned, how you were positioned, it didn't seem right."

"You think someone moved me."

"I did think, Aro. Now I know. And the biggest sign was the rag wrapped around the bone of your arm."

Aro's hand went up to rub his wrist, just barely feeling the pressure underneath his armor. Kain told him to move up his arm a bit higher and Aro smiled when he did, first time in a while. "The thing is, the rag was on there pretty tight," Kain explained, "Pride, he couldn't have known I would be the one to resurrect you and even if he did, he couldn't have known exactly when."

"The rag wasn't recent then?"

"It was almost as old as your body. But with the way your body must have been decaying, it shouldn't have been as tight as it was." He finally turned back towards Aro, "He's visited your body, more than once. Moved it even."

"Why didn't you tell me this before, Kain?" Aro asked, "It's been three years."

Kain's eye lowered, "It seemed so unimportant back then. Seems a bit unimportant now but in light of things…"

Aro felt himself fall back in his chair. What Kain felt was true, it seemed relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of it all but it told Aro one thing; Pride's sincerity hadn't been an act. Aro had been dead for several centuries and throughout that time, Pride had actually been visiting his body, possibly to check on him or tend to his body.

Or more likely, Aro thought, hoping that one day, he wouldn't be there.

"What do you think I was like, Kain?" He mumbled, sinking deeper into his seat, "Back then. What kind of person could I have been to cause all of this?"

"I don't have that answer, Aro," Kain said.

"Pride does," Aro muttered, "He says I…wasn't the nicest person in the world."

"And you believe him?"

"It's hard not to." The way he just dropped the name of their parents, as if it wouldn't be of any consequence and yet…

"Evelyn. Arinze," Aro mumbled, "My parents. I had parents." A small, disbelieving laugh escaped his lips. " _A whole life. A whole history. You and me."_ Pride had said. It seemed so hard to believe before. But now he could see it; a home, a family. Had they been a good one? Did their mother and father love them? He remembered the strong hand on his head, the feeling of safety and security that had overcome him in that vision and the reverence in Pride's voice when he spoke of them. They did. Their mother and father loved them very much.

How disappointed would they be now with the choices their sons had made? For once, a question he wasn't sure he wanted answered.

For everything else, Pride offered answers. Aro could learn his family name, where he was from, what kind of people they had been, what kind of life they had led. Aro felt himself go spiraling into the whirlwind of possibilities and to suddenly feel Aashir's dead weight in his arms or see Cole's soulless white eyes in front of him would rip him back out. His face twisted into a deep, tired scowl and he rubbed his hands over his eyes.

"The others are secure, Aro," Kain said, "All ships prepped for the jump." Aro's own ship began to hum, "On your order."

Aro cast one last look down at Venus. He recalled Wrath's last moments as Kabr and the Guardian still trapped outside of time with no way back now and mourned.

"Give the order." Aro slowly pushed the thrusters to full, "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Petra Venj's voice woke Aro from his daze, "Aro, explain yourself. Who are these extra ships?"

He say up with a groan. "They're with me, Petra. The rest of my clan."

"The rest of your clan? Did your Vanguard catch wind of your plan? Send them to bring you back?"

Aro frowned. "No, not at all. Why would you think that?"

Silence for a few seconds. Then her voice returned, "Aro, you and your people have barely been gone twenty four hours."

Aro fell back again, repeating her words over and over again within his head. Going solely by Kain's counts, days had passed. He shook his head. Priorities first. He returned to the comms, "Look, the short of it is that we finished the mission."

"You did?" Aro couldn't blame her for sounding genuinely surprised, "Your friend, he is with you?"

"He is. But the Heralds attacked before we could go in. Some of our people will need to be looked at."

"We'll see it done."

The extra ships were diverted to parts of the Vestian hangars where they could be held. Aro's ship slowed as it came close to the edge of the Outpost. From the windshield, he could make out small group of the Awoken. A contingent of soldiers headed by Variks, Petra, the Queen herself and her brother.

Kain disappeared, " _Ready_?" Aro heard within his head. He gave his unsure answer just as silently. Kain moved the ship to dock, alongside the other four. Having spent the entire trip in darkness, Aro flinched when light flooded in from the opening ramp. Eyes still partially closed, he trudged down, the sound of each step ringing in his head. He stopped before the Queen and bowed low, "Your Majesty."

"Be at ease, Guardian." He rose back up with a slight groan. He pointed out the ships where his injured teammates had been taken and Petra ordered her soldiers to help them to sick bay. Help in the form of leading and support for the ones still gathering their strength. They were all awake though. Aro felt his heart swell as they exited the ships one by one.

"The Will of Light shines on." Aro never thought he would find himself missing Varik's croaking, raspy voice but he did and a genuine smile tugged on his lips as the old Vandal stepped closer to examine him. "The battle...it was hard fought, yes?"

"More than we expected. It took everything we had just to stay alive." Aro admitted, hearing footsteps come approach from behind. All eyes shifted away from him to behind me. Uldren's eyes narrowed.

"Identify yourself. Who am I addressing, Hunter?" Mara's gaze was as shrewd and ice cold as space outside.

It is Asura." Asura stopped before the Queen and stepped back when her brother tensed up. The Exo lowered than to one knee, his head bowed, his eyes on the ground. "Allow me to apologize, your Majesty. On the behalf of both of us, for the trouble that was caused. And thank you, for the part you played in my rescue."

"Rise, Asura. I will not fault you for actions you possessed no control over." He did as told and she continued, "I will not fault you but this cannot simply be forgotten, Guardians."

"Unless you have managed to retake control of your body, your alter ego is still a threat." Uldren stepped forward, putting himself between them and his sister, "You will be allowed the next day to recuperate and your friends will be seen to but after, you will all be sent back to Earth. I'm sure your Vanguard has words."

A soft sigh escaped Crona's lips. Aro bowed again, "We understand, your Grace."

She nodded once more. "Guardians, whether they are received or given, I do not forget favors. Can I expect the same?"

"You can," Kayla answered.

Daniel agreed. "We won't forget this."

She dismissed them with a wave of her fingers. All removed themselves from her presence except for one. Erek dropped the hood of his cloak and allowed his Ghost to remove his helmet. The man appeared even more ragged and weary than Aro felt. Smoothing down black hair that spiked out in all directions and rubbing facial hair too far along to still be called stubble. His eyes were the most jarring; the humor and liveliness they always held were gone. It could be expected of a man who had stared a fate worse than death in the face and would live to dream about it over and over again.

He spoke with his brother and sister in low hushed tones, much too quiet for anyone around them to hear though there weren't many brave or foolish enough to listen in. Aro wouldn't press for details, it wasn't his place but whatever was said between the three, he could see Mara's eyes brighten and even Uldren's scowl relax, albeit both slightly.

Erek was smiling, as subtle as a Titan in his emotions, a rebellion against his noble, detached upbringing. And of all people to bring it out of him…

Aro turned away. Again, it was none of his business. Besides, the sight of them brought on thoughts on his own family life. None were very pleasant.

Daniel stood off to the side, talking with Kayla and sneaking glances in Aro's direction. The two of them still needed to speak of what they saw. Of how they would tell the others. Of what was in store for the two of them, knowing what they knew. Aro's stomach squeezed and he refused to meet the man's eyes, instead turning to the familiar sound of a large metal staff repeatedly striking the ground. "Variks. Petra," he greeted them both with a short nod to each.

Variks immediately started to circle him, beady black eyes shifting down to Hawkmoon attached to his waist, "The weapons and armor. They worked for you, yes?"

Aro felt a hand softly brush his shoulder from behind. "They did." Crona stopped to stand next to him, "I'm guessing you'll be wanting them back?"

Petra put her hands up, "No, no, they're yours. Always were. We have no use for them."

"Always were?"

Variks hummed deep in his chest, his clawed hand squeezing his staff, "During the time of your training, I found a chest. A chest of treasures tucked away in a corner," he said, "I touched it. Opened it. And it asked me to pass on a message."

Crona gave Petra a look. The soldier sighed and nodded, confirming his story.

"'A deal...is a deal. The Nine wish you good fortune.'"

"The Nine…." Aro murmured, racking his brain until the memory finally came up, "Xur."

"We know Xur," Petra said, "Are you saying he left those weapons for you?"

"Before we went after the Wolf Archon, Xur offered us weapons and armor," he explained, "There was a cache of Strange Coins hidden where the Archon had been taken and he wanted us to retrieve it."

"So he held up his end of the deal after all. And here I thought we'd have to find him." Corna poked an elbow in Aro's ribs. With how exhausted he was, a bit harder would have been enough to tip him over. Petra could see it in him. "Your friends have been situated in sick bay, Aro, Crona. They've all woken up and they all appear fine."

"Thank you, Petra," Aro said, offering a smile.

She nodded and smiled back. "When you've rested, we would like to hear a report of what you saw. No offense but each and every one of you look like a mess. You must have a story to tell."

Aro's smile fell. To the side, he could feel Crona shift away. "You'll hear...everything," he promised. Aro took a deep breath to calm himself and said, "For now, you should know that the Titan Wrath is dead. And the Vault of Glass has been disabled for at least the next several centuries."

"I know I'll hear it in the report but," Petra crossed her arms and leaned in, lowering her voice, "What's it like in there?"

"It is...almost beyond understanding." Kain appeared over Aro's shoulder, better able to explain than he was, "Days passed for us in there. We would start off in our own solar system, walk a few hundred feet and be in a completely different one or even the same one as ours but two billion years before any of us even existed."

"I can't imagine what purpose the Vex possibly have for something like that." She seemed visibly taken aback. And that wasn't even the worst of it. "Like I said, I'll hear it all in due time. I'll leave you to your rest." Petra left them with a slightly bow. Variks quickly hobbled after her, leaving Aro and Crona alone.

A hand gently touched Aro's shoulder and Erek came up from behind him. "Erek." Aro brought up his hand and gripped his shoulder. Then he nodded towards where Erek had came from. "How was it?"

The man sighed then let out a small laugh, "Better than last time," he answered.

Crona grinned. "That's a pretty low bar, don't you think?"

"Crona…"

Erek laughed again, a bit louder this time, "No, no. She's…she's very right." His eyes turned back to Aro and then he asked, "How are you?"

"I'm f-"

"Come on, Aro. No, you're not," Erek cut off, "I can't imagine what I would be feeling, if I were in your shoes."

"Pride. This whole time…" Crona shook her head and Aro noticed her gripping her forearm strangely. Aro offered his hand, silently asking if he could take a look and she flinched away. "It's nothing, really, it's just…" she stopped.

"Aro," he heard Daniel call from behind. Aro took a deep breath before turning to face him. Up close, he looked as expected; both wired and sleep-deprived at the same time. Daniel tore his eyes from Aro to look at Crona and Erek. "May I speak with him alone?"

The two shared a look. "We'll leave you to it," Erek said before turning on his heel and leaving with Crona.

"Daniel," Aro murmured, leaning closer so they could speak without being heard, "Kayla-"

"She left to go see the others," he said quickly.

"Asura?"

"Back to his own room, I assume," he shortened the gap between them, "Look, Aro. We need to talk. About what we saw, what we're going to say and…."

" _And us_ ," Aro's mind finished. He pulled away, "Later."

"What? Aro, I'm not sure this can-"

"It can," Aro stated, a bit harsher than he intended, "I want to check in on the others. You and I, we'll…" He reached for Daniel's hand then suddenly stopped. Daniel's hand tightened slightly, as if recoiling away. Aro let his arm fall away. "We'll talk later," he finished roughly. Aro stepped around him and made for the exit. Daniel remained in place. When he could no longer hear Aro's retreating steps, he brought his hand up to eye level and scowled at it, berating himself silently.

* * *

Almost no time had passed while they had been in the Vault; a concept Kayla would find herself mulling over for days. Not the Fallen, not the Cabal, not even the Hive unsettled her like the Vex did. No magic, no military might, no extreme tenacity, just their minds and the planet sized intellects they housed. To have such mastery over time and space, it was nothing short of a wonder that the system wasn't already under their control, that their supremacy wasn't a law of nature as absolute as heat or gravity.

Her footsteps through the dark hall leading to the Vestian sick bay and her own racing thoughts were the only sounds in her world at the moment. No bullets, no explosions, no death throes from those she cared for. She felt her body start to cool down, the gears that made her move and think whirring quieter in her head as she pushed the battlefield from her mind and let peace take its place

"You might as well leave." Kayla stopped when Aashir's voice echoed through the thick metal door. "I can check myself," he said.

" _The man really does wake up pissed off,"_ Sixx said inside her head, making Kayla laugh, " _But I guess returning pretty close from a close brush with death will to that to you."_

The door opened suddenly, an older Awoken woman stomping past, muttering angrily to herself. Aashir was standing, pulling on clothing and quietly speaking with his own Ghost when she stepped inside. Both turned slightly when Kayla cleared her throat. "Kayla. I expected Aro to be honest."

"He's on his way," Her Ghost answered for her, "What exactly was all that about?"

"Her?" His eyes narrowed but he shook his head, "It's noth-" he offered until his Ghost flat out said, "That 'doctor' was a frame engineer."

Kayla's eyes widened. Home; where everything they loved as well as all their problems had waited eagerly for their return.

"Like I said," Aashir continued with a glare at his Ghost and an edge in his voice, "It's nothing. It's not like she can do anything for me anyway." With a weary sigh, Aashir sat down on the bed, then he asked, "Where is Aro exactly?"

She pulled a chair away from the wall and sat down in front of him, "Still in the Hangar, I think."

"Discussing what to tell the Vanguard, I'm sure."

"You're worried."

"You're not?" Aashir's long red fingers clasped together, his blue eyes trained on them. "We disobeyed unquestionably direct orders. That's bad for all of us, yes but for me, Aveline and Josef…it sort of tells Ikora that we can't be trusted."

"What happens when a Hidden goes so directly against her? Are you let go or…"

"With what we know, she would never risk that. But she also wouldn't do something so extreme such as killing us. I don't know, I don't exactly have a frame of reference for this. No one's that stupid." He let out a weary sigh. As high strung as he was at the moment, this was the most informal he's ever been with any of them. It was either a sign of his budding respect or that his encounter with Pride shook him more than she originally believed.

She took note of his last sentence and pushed on that. "Then why did you do it?"

"Because apparently _we're_ that stupid. We all were to risk ourselves so carelessly. And it almost got us killed." His fingers clasped tighter, then relaxed, "But it was the right thing to do."

"That doesn't bring comfort?"

"Call me selfish but it's only does because things worked out," he answered bluntly, "How useful would it be if it was all I had when I told Josef and Aveline's father that I got them killed?"

The door opening shook Aashir out of his musings. His eyes locked onto Aro, who was watching him with a strange mix of relief and nervousness wrapped in sheer exhaustion. He was still in full armor, with only his helmet and Hawkmoon missing. "I heard you were awake," he said, stepping inside and letting the door close behind him. Kayla moved to leave and give them room to y'all but Aro's hand stopped her. He pulled a second chair from the wall and sat backwards in it, resting his arms on the head. "How are you, Aashir?"

"No worse for the wear, all things considered," Aashir answered.

"The others?"

"The same. They've all scattered." He waved his hand towards the door. "Josef, probably to bother every Reef Awoken he can find."

Aro's lips curled up at that, just slightly. "And Aveline?"

"To convince them Josef actually is half Reef Awoken."

"The eyes don't give it away?"

"Plenty of humans have blue eyes, Aro," Kayla countered.

"None that glow in the dark."

"I doubt the Awoken exactly have a frame of reference."

"They definitely don't have one for Exos." Aro's brow furrowed when Aashir said that but then he sighed and nodded in agreement.

"About what happened on Venus," Aro started.

"We figured the Heralds would never just let you people walk in." His hands came back together. "We didn't expect it to turn out like that."

Aro has to visibly steel himself for what he asked next. "Aashir. What did you see?"

Aashir's fingers went limp and his eyes flit to the ground, to the walls, to Kayla, anywhere away from Aro. Unable to bear the silence, Aro called his name again. Aashir's eyes darted over to him and then closed. "Before I answer Aro, I just want you to know that I wasn't in the most coherent state of mind when I saw what I saw," he said, barely above a whisper, "It was as if some kind of fog enveloped the entire world right before I was killed. It may have even affected my Ghost because he says the same."

Aro let out a shaky exhale. Then he asked again "What did you see?"

"Aro…I saw you," he said finally. Kayla watched Aro as remained silent for a long time. His dark eyes were locked on the floor, both deep in thought and avoiding meeting their own eyes.

"Like I said, Aro. I wasn't in the clearest state of mind," Aashir insisted, when Aro still didn't speak. He sounded as if he was regretting saying anything. "We know that it was Pride and we don't know what Pride is capable of-"

"You saw right."

The man blinked. "I….what?" He hopped of the bed and started to pace, shaking his head. "No, no, we saw you, all of you go into the Vault and we saw the door close."

""Yes, then Pride attacked and killed you right after."

"Then how could it possibly have been you?" Aashir's voice was becoming louder, more angry and frustrated.

When Aro went silent again, it was Kayla who spoke up. "Aashir." His head swiveled towards her, "When...when we beat Wrath(K), it reconnected the Vault to Venus and allowed Pride to come to us. He told us who he was, he...let us see his face."

"Pride is my brother, Aashir." Aro finally found his voice again, "His name is...or was Kain."

For the very first time since the day they had met him, Aashir looked absolutely stunned. His eyes shifted back and forth between Aro's hunched form and Kayla, as if what Aro just revealed simply had to be some kind of joke or a lie. His hope for it diminished with each passing second. He sat back down on the bed and stated, "You didn't know."

"Not at all," Aro whispered, his gaze still on the floor. He suddenly rose to his feet, picking up the chair and placing it back where he had gotten it. "I'll let you rest. I need to go see to the others." he said, voice thich and the muscles of his neck and temples straining under his skin; the man was keeping together by a thread.

* * *

"Was wondering when we'd catch you." Katrina's voice rang through the dark halls and made Asura stop in his tracks. Wrath(K) hadn't spoken much in the time he had kept Asura in the Vault. After blocking out Wrath(A)'s own sporadic thoughts, he had gotten used to complete silence for days at a time.

Before he could turn around, a pair of strong, slender arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders and flowing white hair drop in front of his eyes. Despite frustration, despite his abject exhaustion, Asura chuckled. His own hand came up and touched the arms around him. "It's good to see you, Katrina." He looked around over to Sora and Jessie. It was good to see all of them.

"We know you're tired but we should talk." Jessie gestured to the room where they had been stationed and Katrina walked him inside. While the others situated, Asura found himself standing at the center of the room. It was bigger than his, meant for three instead of just one but overall, the exact same. He never realized how much he missed it. It's always the small things, a room, a bed; things no one cares about until they are ripped away. Possibly forever.

"So we've heard the story," Sora started, dropping down onto one of the beds, "From everyone except for you."

Asura chuckled. "And you just had to hear it right here, right now, before I've even been able to put my head down."

Katrina scratched the back of her neck. "I don't know about you but once I go to sleep, I'm not waking up for weeks. So we should do this now before I repress the memory this all happened."

That made everyone laugh. "Well, it's probably as you've heard it," he told them, "Touching Crota's sword caused some kind of switch between me and Wrath(A). Put him in complete control of my body." It was strange to talk about Wrath(A) as if he wasn't there. But he was barely paying attention. After his final deed, taking Asura's body and using him to plunge an Arc Saber deep into Wrath(K)'s head, it was if he had dug a hole and buried himself deep in the back of their shared mind. Asura could feel him but just slightly.

"And something happened that made him decide to join. A fight with a soldier?"

Corin, Asura remembered. When he asked Crona about him on the trip back, all she said was that he had been transferred. "Yeah, his name was Corin. The Awoken have pretty much no experience with Exos, so they see us as things rather than actual people."

"They brought in a frame engineer to look at me and Aashir in the sick bay," Jessie informed them with a flippancy that surprised everyone. She took in their appalled looks and shrugged, "I didn't feel like arguing so I let her do whatever. But I left when she got to Aashir. Didn't want to be around whenever he decided to set something or everything on fire."

"This Corin, how did you all even know him?" Katrina asked.

"He…and Crona…."

"Were doing it. They were doing it, weren't they?" Katrina was grinning.

Sora fell back on the bed. "Why is that always the first place your mind goes?"

"She's right."

"Hah!" She teased. Then she turned back to him, "Anyway, about your...other half. Is there anyway to reverse iit? Or separate you two entirely?"

"That's what they tried in the Vault and it didn't work," he answered, shaking away the memories of being pulled like a rope from his own body and suddenly snapped back into place because the process had failed once again. Asura remembered the confusing torrent of his emotions that the both of them were forced to share each and every time Wrath(A) saw the final moments before his death.

He remembered the utter anguish that overtook him before he finally let Asura retake control. Now, after the fight had been settled, Wrath(A) seemed to want to "not be" for a while. But he was still in control of Asura's body and therefore always a risk. Asura would always be a risk.

Sora's voice brought him out of his own head. "Asura, can you tell me about Wrath? The Herald, I mean. I read about him as Kabr along with Pahanin but-"

"That's actually the first thing," he interrupted, "It was never just the two of them. There had been a third member of their team. A Warlock named Praedyth. He had taken a hit for Kabr and was knocked outside of the time stream. Only Wrath and Pahanin remember he ever existed."

The Warlock blinked. "I...that's exactly what I read. That at the height of Pahanin's instability, he would drone on and on about a Warlock nobody but him knew," she seemed to be recite, "So...he was real."

"He was. Still is," he corrected himself, "Kabr went deeper into the Vault to take revenge for his friend and died in the process. He died unfulfilled, confused on who or even what he was. So when Pride offered him another chance as well as the opportunity to maybe bring Praedyth back, he took it." Wrath(K)'s last words ran over and over within his mind. "He got answers but...he was never able to bring Praedyth back before he died."

Pride." Katrina was staring out a window, into the Reef space outside, "Aro's twin brother."

"Yes...how did-"

"Aashir's Ghost just sent out a message. To all of us." She turned back to them, any humor she had before was gone now. "I just barely caught view of his face before he killed us." Katrina stood with a groan. Asura just noticed she was still in her armor. She laughed bitterly, "This is some shit. How the hell...did we get caught in the middle of this?"

"We were lucky Pride didn't kill us then and there," Jessie said.

"Why did you come then?" Asura belatedly realized how unnecessarily blunt and ungrateful he sounded. "I mean, you always say that the Vanguard included you to ensure your silence...you didn't have-"

"To be honest, Asura, we don't know," Katrina responded, turning back to the window. "You're our friends of course but...I still don't know."

"Well maybe that's just it. You've got a soft spot for us."

"Ew."

Asura lifted up from his seat, moving easier than before, feeling lighter than he had since he arrived. "I should go put my head down before we have leave. I'll leave you to your own." He stopped before the door. "But whatever the reason you decided to help, thank you. I wouldn't be here if you all didn't."

"Ugh, he's getting sappy," Katrina groaned as Asura opened the door. But her sharp eyes softened and she smiled warmly, "Get some rest, Asura."

"I...will definitely try."

* * *

"You really should go talk to Daniel," Kain said lowly, "You know he doesn't like being ignored."

"I'm not…" Aro started loudly before lowering his tone, "I'm not ignoring him!"

"He doesn't like being avoided either."

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you very much are." It was difficult to lie to someone who had unfettered access to his mind and would regularly and happily call him out on his own bullshit.

In truth, he really was avoiding the conversation they needed to have. Logically, he knew they needed to discuss how they would tell the Vanguard and the others about their brief imprisonment in the future. A second Golden Age, the Cabal and Vex wiped out, the Hive made into the guardians of humanity, the Fallen brought into the fold.

The arrival of the Darkness, the destruction of the Traveler, the wholesale slaughter of every Guardian. All with two people and two people alone at the head. Aro and his brother, Pride. An uncomfortable conversation but not the one Aro was avoiding. He wasn't being logical right now, he was being emotional.

The conversation he was truly avoiding and the one that he knew needed to be had was about them. They were on the path to the future they witnessed and that future ended in the deaths of Daniel's brother, his sister and himself. And here he was, sharing a bed with the man destined to murder him.

Before he had stepped through the time gate, Daniel had asked who they thought was Aro but wasn't if what they had meant anything to him. It did. It does and it always will. But given what they've seen, Aro wouldn't blame him if Daniel didn't believe him.

He wouldn't blame him if he made the decision to end things.

"Shino? May? Mira? Any of you there?" He called to a locked door. After a minute of no response, Aro raised his fist to knock, already thinking of where the three of them might have gone. It opened suddenly and it was May her peeked her head around the door. "Aro! We...weren't expecting you."

"We haven't spoken," he reminded her with a small hint of surprise, "I wanted to see how you were holding up."

"I…of course." She seemed nervous, "Come in. Please."

They had been talking. About him, if the way Mira and Shino avoided his eyes was any indication. He knows Aashir has told everyone about Pride and he knew sooner or later, someone would take the news badly.

Mira looked drained, which was to be expected but the level of it seemed to go further than bone deep. Shino looked conflicted, frustrated, dejected, all just barely wrapped in simmering anger.

May, bless her, was trying her best to relieve the tension in the room. "We heard the battle was hard fought. How are you holding up?"

"We're alive. That's what matters." Shino's eyes shifted over to him and narrowed for just a second. Aro tried his best to ignore it.

"It must've been pretty bad in there."

Aro had to laugh at that. The understating of it all. "There was this Vex with an unbreakable shield around it. It nearly knocked Crona and I out of space and time itself. If it wasn't for Daniel's father's tools…" He clamped down on the welling panic, "Then we encountered these Harpies. Whenever they looked at something, they had the power to decide whether or not it existed. Erek nearly ended up on the receiving ended up of its power and I was just barely able to save him."

May let out a disbelieving huff of air, "You…can't be-"

"Do you know a Warlock named Praedyth?" Aro asked, catching her off guard. She shook her head no. "No mention of the name? By one of the older Warlocks or in texts?"

"It's a name they documented Pahanin constantly muttering about but nothing else but that."

"Well, Praedyth was the third member of Kabr's fireteam and he was victim of the Vex that nearly erased me and Crona. He exists but at the same time, never did. Pahanin still remembered him."

"If…you and Crona…had been…"

"Assuming they survived, only Daniel, Kayla and Erek would remember us," he confirmed what she couldn't bring herself to ask, "To the rest of you, it would be as if we never existed."

May was stunned. Mira appeared disturbed and even the in Shino's eyes had changed. Less anger, more horror. "There were _many_ close calls."

"We know." Aro started at the suddenness and sharpness of Mira's voice. She was looking at him now.

"Right," Aro muttered after a while, "Pride."

"Did you know?"

"No. No, I didn't." Mira turned away from him again. "You saw his face?"

"Yes, Aro. We saw his face."

"I felt him before I saw him," he said, sounding more defensive than he intended. "The door closed before I could warn any-"

"She isn't talking about Venus, Aro," Shino snapped.

"I...you're not?" He looked back at May, who shook her head. "You...you've seen him before," He realized. He was on his feet before he knew it. "When? When did you see him? Mira?" She remained silent, her hand shaking agitatedly, "Mira, please. I need to know. Please."

She let out a small laugh. "You remember what I told you about our first leader?"

Aro's shoulders went limp. She continued, "We went to the Moon, we found May and when we tried to leave, something blocked our transmat and sent an entire horde of Hive after us. They…" her voice cracked and she took a second to close her eyes and calm herself. When she opened them again, Aro saw that she was far from calm. "I just barely saw his face that day but when he showed up on Venus, when he attacked us, I felt him. Then I turned and saw-"

"You," Shino said for the first time in a long time. "We saw _you_."

"Aro is not Pride," May argued, her head turned slightly towards them.

"Oh please."

"He is not!"

"Look at him!" Shino suddenly boomed, startling everyone in the room. "Change the color of his eyes and tell me you'd be able to tell the two of them apart. Tell me!"

"That's enough, Shino." Mira had her head against the wall. "Aro. I think it's best you leave."

Aro was numb. He had been expecting something like this from one of them but that did nothing to soften the blow. Shino never yelled. Not at him, not at anybody. Without a sound, Aro turned back towards the door and forced his unresponsive feet to take one step after the other. The door opened quietly. May spoke but he could barely hear over the rushing in his ears. He dared one more look back before stepping through and letting the door close behind him.

May exploded, " _What is the matter with you two?!"_ Her face twisted in unbridled anger and hurt. "That was Aro! How the hell could you talk to Aro like that?" She fell back onto her bed, wiping frustrated tears from her eyes before they could fall. He had looked so heartbroken and she could barely bring herself to defend him.

It was seeing her cry that Mira finally felt the full weight of her actions. Her mouth opened and closed, hoping to say something. As if anything could be said. Her head fell back against the wall she was leaning on and let out a long sigh.

Shino still radiating anger, pushed his large frame off his bed with a quiet grunt. "Makes you wonder what kind of person he had to have been to create a person like that," he muttered not so quietly.

"Whoever he was, that's not who he is now."

"Hm. Blood will tell," he snarled, "Always does."

"Shino!" May was appalled. Even Mira flinched at the edge in his words.

He turned from the both of them, divesting himself of his shirt, stepping into the bathroom and letting the door close him in.

* * *

 _I do apologize for the wait. Summer classes in grad school turned out to be much more vigorous than I was expecting and midterms are already coming up._ _This chapter was originally going to be longer but it was getting too difficult to set everything coherently together. The next chapter will be out by the end of the week after my midterms_


	60. Aftermath Part II

_Aftermath Part II_

* * *

" _There. Feel better?"_

Crona flexed her forearm, wincing slightly at the twinge of pain that followed. Though Sol did his best to numb the pain, she could feel it, deep in the bone. " _Better_ ," she thought back.

Sol confirmed that something had been wrong ever since they left the Vault and that it had to do with the Aegis. Ghost's separation from Maya's bracelet was an experience, to say the least. As if someone had taken a rod of red hot metal, slowly pushed it through her forearm and then left it there. It was all she could do to keep from dropping to the ground when it happened.

She thought to Ghost's empty shell, packed away in one of her bags because she couldn't bear to have it's dead eye staring at her. Crona sighed, rubbed her eyes and resumed her slow, sluggish walk to the Outpost hangar, better able to move now that the pain had been numbed. She had gone back to her room and taken that long bath she had been fantasizing about since she almost died at the hands of the Templar. Then she spent the next half hour lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

Her father had told her about this; how a soldier's mind remained on the battlefield long after they had come home. And there was so much to dwell on, so much that had been thrown at them too hard and too quickly;that she would need days to process everything and months before she could finally accept that it all happened.

With the uninjured arm, Crona opened the door to the hangar. It wasn't like the Tower was, slower and quieter during the later hours but she did notice different people from the ones who has been working at the time of their return. A switch in shifts, most likely.

Corin used to work in the area. She hadn't seen him since the incident and hadn't even so much as thought of him since they had entered and left the Vault. Now, she was alive to think about it. All the problems and questions she was uncomfortable asking left back at home had been waiting for her to return. Corin was….complicated. The sting she felt when she thought about him wasn't love. Familiarity, maybe, given the time they spent together. She had even entertained thoughts of 'what if?', fully aware of how unlikely anything like that would ever be.

At the base of it all was guilt. He showed signs of his prejudices early and in her feelings of "familiarity", she had brushed them off. Maybe if she had paid better attention, said something earlier...

No, she stamped down that train of thought. Wrath(A)'s betrayal was inevitable and long coming. This was fact, no matter how much she guilted herself for bringing it about. She knew this and maybe one day, she'd actually feel it as well.

The very familiar hollow bang of metal on metal brought her out of her own head. Variks was still awake, at a time when even Petra had retired. "Titan Crona," he clicked, "You do not seek rest?"

"Rest doesn't seem to to want me at the moment."

"Hmm." He rubbed the chainmail covering his maw, "You...and others." He lifted his staff and directed her attention behind him towards the back of the hangar. Her eyebrows raised and despite her exhaustion, a surprised snorting laugh escaped her nose. There, among the busy going ons of the Vestian outpost, were Josef and Aveline; the former appearing absolutely enamored with the sights and the latter attempting to appear uninterested.

"Their mother was Reef Awoken," she started to explain, her eyes still on the pair, "Their father is a human. This is an experience for them."

"Human-Awoken pairings?" Crona spiked at the sudden spike in his volume. "Interesting. Very, very interesting. If only you would stay a while longer. I would love to study them." He lifted his staff and banged it on the ground twice. "Another time. Maybe. Hopefully."

Crona smiled, "I'll bring it up with them," she promised. Variks laughed loudly at that and began to hobble away. Aveline, having heard the two of them, waved her over once Variks had continued on his way. "You all are looking well rested," Crona said as soon as she was close close enough. Josef's eyes flicked over for brief second, registering that she had been heard but his attention remained on their surroundings.

Aveline smiled, "He and I have been at this for while now," she responded with an easy shrug of her shoulders but her smile faltered a bit, "Not to the caliber of today but still." She and her brother were out of their armor, in loose fitting clothing the Awoken had provided. Josef looked almost comical in his, shirt going halfway down his thighs, too broad shoulders squeezed into the clothing's inadequate width and pants hiked up tied far under them, nearly to the top of his chest, the black sunburst clan mark on his brown neck standing out even more so than usual. Still, his own exhaustion and discomfort paled in comparison to where his attention laid. He was here; the Reef. The home of his mother he never thought he would see. "Look at him," his sister cooed, "Like a little, hairy puppy."

"Don't call me little." Finally, the man turned to join the two, "You know, our mother used to tell stories of the Reef to us. And it looks…just like she described. I'm not surprised. This would be hard to forget." There was a touch of reverence in his rough voice, mixed with longing. He missed his mother and perhaps always would.

"Under better circumstances, you might have been allowed to see more of it," Crona said.

The humor left Aveline's eyes. She knew why they had to leave. She asked Crona, "When will we be speaking to the Vanguard?"

"She would very much like to get the verbal lashing over with," Josef explained.

"And you wouldn't?"

"I didn't say that."

"Petra Venj will be doing the contacting. Just alerting them to our status." Crona's eyes focused on the transports moving in and out of the hangar, "We will speak to them when we return to Earth. Give them the full report." She relates wholeheartedly to their worry, perhaps even more so. To say that her father, her mother, her brother would all be absolutely livid felt like an understatement.

They would be heartbroken. She was almost lost to them.

"A full report, you said." Aveline's voice dropped in volume, "I assume this includes Pride?" Crona tore her eyes from the ships. "Aashir told us already, just after Aro confirmed it," she explained, "You know, we speculated family. Ever since we were brought onto this job."

"But a younger twin brother?" Josef continued, "An identical one at that? Not even we came up with that."

"Sometimes…" Crona started, already feeling an uncomfortable lump welling up in her throat, "Sometimes when I think of him, of Pride, I have to remind myself that it actually is Pride," she said, "I have to tell myself that I'm not putting Aro's face on Pride's body."

She saw Aveline's eyes shift around them, as if she was looking for something. Someone, most likely. He hid it well but the perpetual guilt Aro felt over everything that's ever happened was starting to take its toll. Dull, sunken eyes, drooping shoulders and hanging head, as if he could curl into himself and just disappear. And all this was before Pride revealed himself, revealed the kind of person Aro had been before. Revealed the long forgotten names of his mother and father.

They had spoken for only a short while upon returning to the Reef and from what she could glean from their short interaction, he appeared no worse for the wear. But she knew that was the final nail in the coffin. If he was keeping it together, it was for their sake, not his own and sooner or later, he would break. Things would come to a head and not a single one of them would be prepared for the fallout.

Their talk ended there; it was a conversation no one truly wanted to have. Instead, they watched the ships, the workers, soldiers, all while wondering where things went from here. Crona's fists tightened as biting pain spread through her arm again. There were worse things to worry about. And yet, she found herself able to push such things from her mind. Later, the three would part ways and Crona would make her way back to her room. She would sink into her bed, again seeking sleep and this time, sleep seemed eager to take her.

* * *

"No visitors, Spirit," Asura murmured to the Ghost over his shoulder, "Please."

"I don't think anybody is leaving their bed until they really have to." They stopped before his door and Asura just stood there for some time, eyes on the door but staring far beyond it. It was Spirit who finally commanded it to open. Still dazed, he stepped inside.

Nothing had changed; the room was exactly how he had left it months ago. Step after shuffling step, Asura made his way to the bed and the very second his knees it the edge, he fell over and sank in with a laugh. Traveler, it was so soft. Everything was compared to cold metal and hard stone. Even the tough, uncomfortable seats in Crona's ship had nearly put him into a dead sleep within seconds. He could feel it coming on now but he forced himself up into a seating position.

" _Wrath. Wrath, I know you can hear me."_ Deep within his own mind, Asura could feel him, tucked into a distant recess. Asura had not at all been exaggerating when he told Katrina, Sora and Jessie that Wrath did not want to exist for a long while. Every conviction he had held about himself and about others had been broken when the other Guardians made it to the Glass Throne. He had been so sure, so certain that nobody in their right mind would risk so much for someone like them.

Asura wouldn't have blamed them if they ultimately decided not to with how much would be at stake. But they did. They did and it worked and the fact that there was anyone with everything to lose who would risk it all was jarring at best, debilitating at worst. Asura felt less than sympathetic. Not for his Wrath, not for the deceased Titan, not for the people who had kept him captured, spending every waking hour wondering if it was his last.

Still, here he was, attempting to speak to him. He had questions and they may never get answered once they returned to the City.

" _Why did you step in, Wrath?"_ He asked, despite the previous lack of response, " _You said you wouldn't interfere."_ Still, silence. " _The others may not know it but at the last second, you took over my body. You delivered the killing blow_." The reminder elicited a response. Just a slight shift in their mind space that told Asura he had been heard. He wondered if he felt guilty. It wasn't a warm one but his relationship with Wrath(K) must have been the closest thing to a friendship Wrath(A) had ever experienced.

" _Would you have prefered I stayed out of it?"_ Wrath(A) finally muttered, aware that Asura most likely wouldn't leave him to his despondency until he got what he wanted.

" _You're avoiding the question."_

" _Obviously."_

" _Why did you do it, Wrath?"_

" _What is the point of this interrogation, Asura?"_ Wrath(A) burst out, " _Why can't you just leave me be?!"_

Asura abandoned that thread for a new one, " _Can I expect the same from you?"_ he asked.

" _What?"_

" _I need to know….I need to know if I am safe. Whatever happened before, this is my body now_." Anger flashed, then slowly subsided. " _I need to know if control will stay with me."_

" _I will not."_

" _How do I know that?"_

" _You don't."_

" _Wrath…"_

" _Answer this for me, Asura, since we're asking questions now."_ Asura felt him rise out of his corner, " _What could you do? What could you do if I did?"_

" _I could end us both, Wrath,"_ Asura warned, " _I have no problem. Spirit has no problem. I will not let you hurt people and I will not let you use me to hurt people!"_

Wrath(A) went silent at that. Asura could sense the turmoil, the roiling mix of emotions. Then it all snapped away, like a door suddenly slammed in his face. He could feel Wrath drifting away again. " _I will not. What more can I say?"_

Despite himself, Asura laughed a little. " _Nothing, I guess. There's nothing you can say or do that will make me trust you."_

Another shift, one Asura wasn't sure he could explain. The last he heard came in a receding voice, as if the speaker was moving further and further away. " _Then leave me be."_

His mind filled with silence. The time for questions and the hope for answers was past now. He meant it when he said he did not, _could not_ trust Wrath but even his own fears were something he was too tired to dwell on. And the way Wrath(A) spoke, even Asura found it hard to believe he would be lying. Slowly, Asura pulled off each bit of clothing one by one, leaving them in a pile at the foot of the bed. He slid back on the towards the head of the bed and slowly laid back, sinking into the mattress.

The lights went out. His eyes followed Spirit as she floated across the room, over his head and settled on the nightstand. His vision blurred, the world went out of focus and soon, faded away to nothing.

* * *

Aro was still numbed. He couldn't feel the air around him or the temperature and his footsteps echoed as if they were far away. As if they were not his. He expected this. He had expected this. He regularly told himself he would deserve it when it finally happened and still, it hurt worse than anything he had ever experienced in his short second life. The sheer disbelieving shock in Aashir's eyes. The anger and grief in Mira's eyes, Shino's words were still ringing in his ear. " _Look at him! Change the color of his eyes and tell me you'd be able to tell the two of them apart. Tell me!"_ Aro stopped before he could walk into his door, his hand pressed against it. It was shaking. His entire body was shaking. He leaned against the door, pressing his forehead against the cold metal.

It suddenly slid open and Daniel's hands stopped the two of them from colliding. His fingers were tight, slightly trembling digging into Aro's arms and holding him in place. Their eyes connected. Daniel didn't ask what was wrong. He didn't ask if Aro was alright. He just pulled the both of them further in and wordlessly ordered is Ghost to lock the door. Finally, he released Aro, pulled back and spoke, "Do you want to start? Or should I? Because we _are_ talking about this."

Aro wasn't sure what came over him in that moment. Maybe his body had finally reached the limit it had been hurtling towards since they walked into the Vault. "Fine then." He felt the chill in his own voice, "We'll be telling the Vanguard everything. How we got into the Vault, the monsters we faced, what we saw in the future. Pride's identity." He walked to the center of the room, brushing past Daniel. The man reached for him and Aro twisted away. "Aro…"

Aro ignored him, "As for the others, we should wait until they've calmed down before we tell them about the future. If their nerves are still as shot as it seems, they aren't in the right state of mind to hear of what will happen."

"Aro!"

"What? What?! We're talking about it!" Aro raged, "What do you want from me?!"

Daniel needed only two long strides to close their distance. He grabbed Aro's arm again. "That is not-" he said through his teeth, interrupted by Aro ripping his arm away. He took a deep, shuddering inhale, "That is not what I am talking about."

"Fine. Us." He watched as Daniel's shoulders sagged slightly. "Where do we go from here?"

He could see the fight and the fire leave Daniel's dark eyes. He suddenly seemed so nervous and unsure of himself. Any other time, Aro might have found it endearing. When he finally spoke, his eyes were on the ground and his voice was soft, "Well, what do you-"

"No."

His head shot up. "What?"

Aro moves closer. "Do _not_ put this on me. If you want this to end, Daniel, you need to end it yourself! Because I…" Aro's voice cracked. A lump in his throat labored his breathing, "Because I can't do it," he finished. "If you want to end this, I won't stop you. If you want to take back everything you've ever said to me, I won't blame you, Daniel. I won't."

Daniel nodded slowly, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Is there something I should do?" He then asked. "Or maybe, stop doing?" He dancing around it; the question he had asked before. Was what they had enough? Was _he_ enough?

"No. No, there's nothing you can do. You've been better to me than I could have hoped for. Than I will ever deserve." Aro put his hands up and for the first time, Daniel didn't flinch away. Instead, he reached out, took hold of Aro's arms and pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around Aro's neck in a tight embrace.

Aro's cracked composite finally broke. His vision blurred and hot tears ran down his face. His arms shot up and wrapped around Daniel's middle in a vice grip. "We'll make it through this," Daniel's murmured into Aro's shoulder, "I promise. I promise."

They were already on the path, Aashir had said. Something Aro does or some event that occurs sets them on the path towards the world that they experienced. For all they knew, Daniel had little to do with it and if that was the case, then reason would follow that his promises meant little in the grand scheme of things.

And yet, Aro felt hope. Daniel gave him hope that things could work out in the end. That he could fix this and not wind up the monster fate seemed to intend him to be. Daniel's hands slide up to cup his face and pulls him into a soft kiss. Aro responds immediately, pushing it deeper, pulling him closer. Daniel soon broke it and Aro could sense the words welling in the man's throat. Aro beat him to it. "I love you. No matter what. I always will."

"I know. I know and I love you too." Daniel kissed him once more, less warmth, more intent. His large hands fell, running down Aro's chest to grab at his sides. His lips lifted up in a slight smile. "Let's go to bed." Aro murmured his assent and let himself be pulled closer and pushed down.

The room was pitch black. Silent except for the working vents over their heads and the sounds of deep breathing. Aro was on his back, one hand behind his head on the pillow. The other running through Daniel's spiky black hair as the man slept soundly on his bare chest.

" _You know, Aro, it really isn't that hard to tell you and Pride apart."_ Kain's voice was loud in the silence of Aro's drifting mind. " _I don't just mean the red eyes. There's differences that stand out. At least, if one pays attention."_

Aro hummed; the thought had never occurred to him. To pay more attention. Both he and most likely everyone else simply juxtaposed his face over the leader of the Heralds. " _Not sure it really matters, Kain._

" _Was just thinking about what Shino said_ ," he explained. Feeling Aro's discomfort, he added, _"It's Shino and Mira, Aro. It may take a little while but I know they'll come around._ "

" _You think so huh?"_

" _I certainly hope so. That's all we really need."_ Aro found himself smiling at that. A tired, weary and ragged one but still a bright, genuine smile.


	61. Welcome Home

**Welcome Home**

* * *

"Breathe in _._ " Kain made a inhaling sound in Aro's head, followed by a fake whooping exhale, "And then breathe out."

Aro focused on the sway of his ship, the hum of the engines, the stretch and flex of his chest as he did what he was told. Funny, it seemed, using his master's own breathing and meditation techniques to suppress the fear of actually having to talk to her. At least it would be funny. Some day.

"And we're breathing in-"

"I know how to breathe, Kain," he said, doing as he said anyway. Something pricked him when he said the name; a feeling he did not like.

"Good, cause we're here." His eyes blew open and the air came whooshing out of Aro's lungs, hard enough to leave him stuck in a coughing fit. Sure enough, Earth was in view. They were close enough for the planet to take up the entirety of his ship's windshield. His nails scratched up and down his thighs.

"This should be a good thing," Kain reminded him, "We're alive to be yelled at."

Aro huffed out a laugh. "Right? But still…" The comms started to ping. Normally, one would just have to start speaking but he had shut them off in the hopes of being alone with his thoughts. Aro had assumed that the lack of calls meant the others were all doing the same.

"It's from Asura," Kain said, connecting to the channel, "Asura? Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright," The Exo snapped through the radio, "Crona has been losing her shit in my ear for the last half-"

Another ping cut him off. On instinct and against his better judgement, Aro let the call through. It was Crona, babbling before the call even fully connected. "Aro, whatever Asura tells you, he's-"

"I've already told him, Crona. Now you can have your little panic attack in his ear!"

"They cannot be serious." Kain muted their own connection to the channel and Aro just sat back in his seat, listening to the two of them go back and forth, so amused and enamored that he didn't notice his ship descending from the clouds and passing over what would have otherwise been very familiar mountains.

It would have been a stretch to think Asura was just being insensitive and unintuitive. He had his moments of crassness, of course but one thing this whole journey hasn't changed was his ability to read moods. He would know they would all be worried about what the Vanguard would say and he knew Crona would feel it worse than the others, followed closely behind by their Hidden clanmates.

And when Asura was being an ass, he knew he was being an ass. Asura rarely was one without knowledge or reason; reasoning usually being for a laugh. Even now, it could be heard, just barely stifled in the tone of his voice. Crona sounded animated, almost livid. Aro could picture her waving her arms around and maybe even standing on her feet, pointing a threatening finger at the radio as if she was arguing with him face to face. It sounded like old times; before they knew what they knew and saw everything they had seen.

Aro and his Ghost realized it at the same time. Despite himself, Aro put his hand to his eyes and started cackling. "By the Traveler. He's distracting her!"

"And you, now that you've been pulled in," Kain pointed out, "That's...actually a pretty good plan. Make her mad so she isn't so nervous."

Crona's voice retook Aro's attention. "I swear, when we land down-"

"Hey! I'm a victim here! You can't touch me," Asura said, "Aro wouldn't let you anyway."

"Is that so? Aro?" Crona called him, pulling him back in, "How do you feel about free food?"

And the plan just backfired. Aro turned off the mute. "Go on…"

"What?!" Came Asura's indignant squawk.

"When we touch down, Aro, I just need you to do nothing for the first five minutes." It was hard to tell the difference between a joking threat and a credible threat when it came to Crona. A side effect or side benefit of growing up an impressionable child around Ikora Rey and Shaxx.

"That's a rather tempting offer, Crona."

"So that's what we're resorting to now, Crona?" Asura asked, "Pitting Aro against his _best_ and _closest_ friend?"

"His _what_?"

" _Oh, he's good."_ Kain muttered in Aro's head, " _And….we're here."_

The clouds gradually thinned before them and parted. There, in all its glory, was the Traveler. The Traveler and the City beneath it, under its eternal watch and protection. In the first moments of seeing it, Aro felt the apprehension that had held him for so long, constricted his chest and tighten his shoulders finally begin to loosen its grip, if only slightly.

They made it. They were home.

* * *

It must have been a sight. Fifteen ships, a practical fleet, arriving all at once in the Tower Hangar. At least it would have been to him. Aro was putting together the last of his few things, to be easily moved back to his room after the Vanguard finished tearing them several new ones. The Vestian Dynasty sidearm was immediately transferred to his Vault, disappointed he never got the chance to truly use it and hoping to examine it more closely when he had the time and energy.

They had left the Reef with little fanfare. The Queen and Prince were not present, only Petra and Variks there to see them off. Erek had not joined them in the Outpost hangar until just before they departed, having either been called to or deliberately seeking out his brother and sister to give his goodbyes. The Tower would use this opportunity to keep in contact with the Reef, trading information on sights and developments regarding the Heralds but this would most likely be the last time in a long time Erek would see them again.

Aro turned his eyes to Hawkmoon next and reached for it. He held up the ornate pistol, its silver coating gleaming even in the low light of the ship's bridge. "It served us well," Kain said, floating up from behind Aro.

"Takes some getting used to. But yeah, it did," Aro murmured, tracing a hand over the feathers etched in the barrel. "You think it's a gun I could start using regularly? Like Cayde and his cannon."

"Do we even have the clearance yet?"

Aro shrugged, "I honestly started to figure that Rank limitations no longer applied to us, given the nature of our work. I guess we'll see."

"If anything, it'll give you a good reason to hit the ranges more often." Aro turned to glare at him. "What?" the Ghost asked, "You were thinking it."

"Didn't need to hear it out loud." Aro took another look over the weapon, "What about changing the appearance. Heard Cayde was trying to make that a thing. And Maya's Ghost changed his appearance rather easily." Aro looked over his Ghost again, "You still haven't, I notice."

"You've just noticed?"

"I have a lot going on!"

"I'll change my shell when you grow the beard. Deal?"

He laughed. "Deal." Aro put away the rest of his things and looked out of his windshield. Everyone else were already on the ground, some staring up at him, waiting. It was not as if they could put this off forever.

The dark interior of his ship was replaced with bright, almost blinding sunlight. He walked down the railing towards the opening where the ships had come through, practically basking in the heat and the light and the noise of the Tower and City below.

A tiny but very strong pair of arms suddenly wrapped themselves around his waist and to his surprise, managed to lift him off the ground and start shaking him around. "Amanda! Okay, Amanda! I've missed you too."

She finally dropped him with a clang on the metal walkway. "Y'all have some nerve, you know that? Running off to the goddamned Vault of Glass without tellin nobody!"

" _Spirit says Asura says thank you for drawing her attention,"_ Kain whispered in his mind, " _She was trying not to cry and kept punching him to hold it in."_

Aro snorted and one of Amanda's eyebrows shot up. "What, may I ask, is so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing." Aro waved it off, "So, what have you heard?"

"What have I heard?" She leaned in, "From who? Be specific."

The Warlock blinked and his Ghost appeared over his shoulder, "The Vanguard…" Realization dawned, "Amanda-"

"Is someone else talking?" Kain finished for him.

"Aro, Kain. _Everyone_ _else_ is talking." She looked back over her shoulder and then pulled him closer so she could lower her voice. "I know _why_ you went in. Asura, Wrath and all that," she explained, "But others? Your little fight in front of the Vault wasn't the most private thing in the solar system. People know you and your people got inside and when they see you all walking around here, they'll know you got out. Alive."

"What do they know about the fight? Our opponents specifically."

"That they may be Guardians, Aro. Or they may not be. Those who were in the immediate area say they felt... _something_. It's starting to sound like the discussions people had after the incident with Gluttony and Greed," she said, "Toland and Vell died on the Moon. Now, they show up again all of a sudden and nobody knows why? Except…"

Aro sighed. "Except the Vanguard knows."

"And people are starting to realize that the Vanguard knows. And since you and yours spend so much time around the Vanguard, they're startin' to figure out that _you_ know." Both turned at the sound of Daniel calling for Aro. All of them were still there, waiting for him.

"The Vanguard aren't happy, Aro," Amanda said.

He turned away from the group and back to her. "I didn't expect them to be."

"Cayde isn't taking this as seriously as he should. Possibly because, deep down, he supported y'all. Ikora can't really be read-"

Aro scoffed humorlessly, "Naturally."

Amanda didn't hold even the slightest bit of amusement. "But Zavala? He's pissed. Not angry as he is when Executor Hideo tries to make him a dictator or when the Consensus is being the Consensus or even when Cayde says anything. I mean the type of anger where he looks completely calm and then he crushes a coffee mug or accidentally shorts out every circuit on this floor and the three under it." She crossed her arms, "He's calmed down in the time you've been gone but you haven't been gone that long."

Daniel called him again. Louder this time. "Go, Aro. Good luck," she said. Then she clapped him on the back, "And welcome back."

* * *

People have heard, was what Amanda had said. And yet, even with this in mind, Aro was unprepared for the reaction their presence elicited in other Guardians. Most common of them was stunned silence, followed by furious whispering amongst one another. Few attempted to hide it, none very well.

The Vanguard hall was starkly different. There was talking at first, the usual hum of conversation they had gotten so familiar with given how often they were here in the hall. Then Ikora, leaning just slightly over the table with her head in a tome older than she was, straightened out and turned on them the most ethereal and frigid pair of eyes Aro had ever seen.

Aro and every single Guardian behind him froze on the spot. The entire hall went so silent so quickly, Aro swore he could hear the heartbeats of those behind him.

The Speaker was here, as was Shin Malphur. One by one, the Guardians were noticed until Zavala finally looked up at his subordinates, shifting nervously on the spot. He tossed down his data pad, letting the report carelessly clatter on to the table. His eyes were on Crona. Her eyes were on her feet.

"Leave us." Ikora's voice echoed off the walls and everyone there knew better than to disobey. From other Guardians to Tower personnel and even frames tripped over themselves making for the exit. The thick metal doors sealed shut once the last person had managed to slip out.

If the looks on them couldn't kill, the silence could. The Commander's shining eyes burned with such a confusing mix of emotion. Anger, of course. Burning, almost overwhelming. But in the thick of it, Aro could see happiness that Asura had been saved, that he wouldn't have to shoulder the guilt of condemning the Hunter to suffer alone in the Dark. Relief that they had all made it home, changed irreversibly by the ordeal but alive.

And then there was terror; the kind that sent all the years of discipline and training Lord Saladin had instilled within him out the window and made him lose control over his strength and power, destroying mugs and causing blackouts as Amanda had said. The indescribable, gut wrenching fear of almost losing someone so close to you.

How had Pride reacted to losing him? Was several centuries a long enough time to let go of the grief?

Aro's eyes refocused. Zavala's mouth has opened and he was preparing to speak. "Were we…" Zavala's tone was soft and reserved. Or restrained. "Unclear? In our orders? Was there anything that we said that could have been misconstrued?"

No response from a single one of them. Just bodies shifting and nervous coughing.

"Hidden." Ikora's voice caused Aashir to straighten up so quickly, the gears in his body whined. "You were asked a question."

Answers of "no" emanated from behind him, quiet but strong and clear. Ikora Rey doesn't tolerate muttering.

"Then I need you to explain why you disobeyed direct orders and went into the Vault of Glass. I am speaking to you, Aro." Aro stiffened when every eye turned onto him. "Every person standing behind you is your responsibility," Zavala said.

Aro's eyes turned to the ground. "I…I mean, we did it to save Asura. There is no other reason." He gave the answer easily enough. No matter what his orders were, his reasoning was nothing to be ashamed of. He wanted to save his friend.

"You risked your life and the lives of fourteen other Guardians to save one."

"I gave them all a choice." He hated how defensive he sounded. "They all could've-"

"No, you didn't," Ikora cut off, "And no, they couldn't. You're saying you would have gone into the Vault, regardless of whether or not your clan agreed to go with you. But Daniel never would have let you go in alone. Crona never would have let you go in alone. Regardless of how they felt, they had no choice. In choosing to go in, you took that choice from them."

"Alright, alright, lets everyone reel it in." Cayde stepped away from his map and walked towards Zavala. "How about we start with a 'welcome back', eh? What big, blue and beautiful here wants to say." He clapped Zavala on the armored shoulder, "Is that while we are glad, this was reckless, alright? Even for me."

"Sepiks Prime. Gluttony in the Hellmouth and now this," Ikora muttered, "You all are very lucky to be alive. You cannot keep pushing this. You cannot keep pushing the Heralds."

"We know of your fight at the entryway," Cayde said, "Shin here barely arrived in time."

Malphur appeared as haunted and sleep deprived as they did. Gaunt, blue eyes, sunken cheeks and hair that had spent many hours with his fingers running through it, he looked an exhausted mess. "When I got there, the gate was closing." His voice was thin and rasping, "Teams Mira, Aashir and Katrina were fighting outside. I was doing what I could from afar when…." His clasped fingers squeezed tightly, veins popping up on his hands. The sudden silence earned him worried glances from the Vanguard and a hand on his shoulder from the Speaker, who hadn't moved or spoken since the Guardians had arrived. Malphur took a breath before continuing, " _Something_. It…. _whatever_ , moved through the battlefield like a some kind of Ghost. Whatever it was doing, all of them," he gestured to the group, "Were dropping like flies. I barely got out in time."

"This is something you all need to learn," Zavala told them all. "Your actions will always have consequences. Even if you decide you are willing to suffer them, are you willing to let others suffer for them as well. Your clanmates? Your fellow Guardians? Your families?" .His eyes flicked over to Crona for just a fraction of a second.

"This has already been stated but I feel it bears repeating," Ikora stated, "Today could have taken a very different direction and could have put us on the path to a very horrible outcome. You are lucky." She looked over to Zavala, "We all are."

Aro felt like he was both on fire and drowning. He knew this was coming, he knew what was being said but nothing hurts more than the truth. Every single time they have gone against the Heralds, it has only ended on the Heralds' terms. And now, after meeting Pride, the Herald's terms, the orders of mercy uncharacteristic of beings who were brought back from death to be as brutal and ruthless as the Darkness demands came from a place of longing; Pride wanted to talk to his brother again.

And all Aro has done was test that patience; taken several miles when he was barely given an inch. Was he truly prepared to suffer the consequences of Pride's sympathy finally running out? Would he be able to shoulder the burdensome guilt that would come when someone he cared about suffered in his stead?

He knew the answer. The thought alone threatened to break him, right here and now.

"Until we say so, you will not leave this City without permission," Zavala ordered, "Patrols, bounties, treasure hunts, whatever, you will get them from us and only us."

"This applies to you as well, Josef, Aveline, Aashir," Ikora added, "You don't have our word, you don't leave. You stay here where we can keep an eye on you."

"You're grounded." Cayde shrugged, "Sorry, kids."

Zavala jerked his head to the door behind them. "All of you, head to meeting rooms. We might as well put your insubordination to good use and find out what you know."

Aro's throat tightened and his stomach roiled. Daniel watched from behind as he struggled to maintain his composure and made up his mind to speak to Zavala once everyone else had stepped out.

The Speaker continued to remain silent, his masked face focused on Aro for just a few moments more before he turned away and faced the windows at the back of the hall, observing the snow covered mountains outside of the City walls with an odd, out of place serenity about him.

* * *

The meeting rooms seemed more dimly lit than Crona remembered. Made this "interview" as Cayde put it seem more like an interrogation. The dull hazy light reminded her of the Vault too much for her liking yet she didn't dare ask for it to be changed. Her hands tightened around each other and a burst of pain shot up her arm before dissipating as quickly as it arrived.

"Crona, Kayla and Erek, we'll be starting with you. You are being recorded." Zavala said, his Ghost hanging over his shoulder, "So speak clearly." He started to pace the small room, his boots clanking against the tile. Ikora stayed to one corner behind him, Cayde to the other.

"We received confirmation of your entry into the Vault from the Queen's Emissary and member of the Royal Awoken Guard, Petra Venj. Erek Sov, what was the Reef's involvement in your incursion?"

Erek swallowed dryly. "Um...ah well, training and arming mostly," he answered, "They had us fight in this arena called the Prison of Elders in order to build up skills and make us operate better as a cohesive unit."

"How did they turn the Prison of Elders into an arena?" Zavala asked, sounding more curious than interrogative.

"They have an Eliksni or Fallen Vandal there named Variks. He serves the Reef after he betrayed the House of Wolves and helped them win the Reef War. He's in charge of its redesign by order of the Queen."

"How are your sister and brother anyway?" Cayde suddenly butt in, "How was the big family reunion?"

Erek rubbed the black scruff on his blue chin, his eyes on the ground. "There was some anger. Demands for answers. My sister was quiet and reserved, as always. Most of the yelling and the anger came from my brother," he went on, "It lessened by the time we prepared to return to Earth, after we had left the Vault but...not by much."

"Your brother doesn't sound like the nicest guy in the world."

"He used to be."

"If we could remain on track." Ikora pushed off the wall and moved closer. "Kayla."

The Exo started at the suddenness of her name being called.

"How did you gain access into the Vault of Glass?" she asked, "I know you, I know Daniel and I know Tarlowe were all instrumental."

"Well, okay. But part of what I'm about to say is a bit personal to Daniel-"

"Then he can reiterate when it is his time. Leave nothing out."

She did as she was told. Kayla revealed to the Vanguard the Suros' family secret; of Rasputin's contacting of Adrian Suros, his very specific and often convoluted instructions on the creation of three keys, hidden away in plain sight until the time came for them to be used. She told them of the final part of Rasputin's plan; to use encoders within the Archives to complete the construction of the keys.

She told them how the Fallen invaded and how Archive security blocked transmat and started to emit a kind of poison gas. She told them of how Adrian sent Vell away with the keys because he knew the risks if they remained in the wrong hands. She told them of Adrian's last message and his last thoughts before he died.

The revelation brought about a profound silence. Zavala, Cayde and Ikora all looked introspective, remorseful even. They must have blamed themselves for Adrian's death for such a long time. Kayla doubted this news brought them any kind of closure or relief.

It was Ikora who ended the tense quiet. "The Archives are gone. That much is confirmed. The keys Adrian developed, can we use the information Tarlowe has on them? Move the data to the Tower?"

"Adrian put safeguards in place. It can't leave Tarlowe's computer system, not without being corrupted."

"I see." Ikora then sighed, "Anything else?"

Kayla's hand fisted in her clothing involuntarily. "We...we learned Envy's identity. She revealed it to us when she tried to stop us."

"Eriana-3. We know."

"Oh yeah. Shin caught a glimpse of her face just before Pride attempted to kill him," Cayde said.

"Did she give you a reason for a transformation," Ikora pressed, "Why she was given the name Envy?"

"No. Nothing."

Zavala turned to her, "Ikora, you knew her best. Was there anything about her that could have possibly led to this?"

"I remember her having feelings for Wei Ning," Cayde said.

Ikora nodded. "Yes, she did. I didn't realize she told you."

"She didn't. She just wasn't all that good at hiding it." Cayde brought his arms up, as if in realization, "Hey, maybe that's where the Envy came from. She never got to be with Wei."

Ikora hummed, her eyes and tone carrying both amusement and nostalgia. "Clearly she hid it well enough. It wasn't very public but they were together. If anyone ever took issue with a Human being with an Exo, they never spoke up."

"Or they did and didn't live to tell the tale."

Ikora huffed in amusement again, "There's that." Her eyes became hooded and her shoulders tightened. "Eriana was devastated when she died. It's why I can't understand why she became Envy. If it was her time, then I know she'd want to be with Wei Ning in death. What could Pride possibly have offered her?"

As much as Kayla was enjoying not having the spotlight on her, there was something they needed to know. "There's...something else."

All conversations between the Vanguard stopped. Kayla took their prolonged silence as her cue to continue. "Eriana did tell us something. How she was able to manipulate Rasputin like she did." Ikora's brow slowly rose higher on her head. Kayla was now just confirming it. "It's her, Eriana was the second Warmind."

"And now, as Envy, Pride controls a Warmind," Ikora murmured. She turned away from the group, deep in thought, "A Warmind with a dangerous amount of influence over Rasputin."

"What exactly could she do with that kind of power, Ikora?" Zavala asked.

"Theoretically? Turn the Warsats against the City. We'd be rubble in a matter of days." She turned back to them, "But it seems that hasn't happened yet. And all of the Warsats claimed by Guardians in the field suggest that Rasputin is still in complete control."

"We'll have to discuss possible preparations later then. Crona." Despite his earlier anger, his voice had softened when he said her name. It was still hard for her to meet his eyes, knowing what she's put him through. "What happened in the Vault? All of you look...disturbed."

Her arm twinged again and she clutched at it involuntarily. Erek's leg began to shake, his heel lightly and rapidly tapping on the ground. The look in his eyes was distant and glazed over. He was back there, staring into the Harpy's eye, its shrill scream drowning out the world.

Crona swallowed. "The things they could do were...should have been impossible." She could feel it again, her and Aro fading out of the timeline. Her father would never learn of what almost happened. Not if she could help it. "When the Vault closes, it seals itself outside of most timestreams. First, we're on Venus, a few minutes of walking and suddenly we're in an entirely different part of the galaxy. Another few steps, we're back in our own solar system except its millions of years before the first life forms even developed on Earth."

"There was this Hydra that could push you out of the time stream. Trap you in between," she continued, "Came with an incredibly strong shield that took all out effort to break for just a few seconds at a time."

"These Harpies, they were called Gorgons. They…" Erek paused to run a trembling hand over his mouth, "They could decide you simply didn't exist. Then they would manipulate reality itself to fit their decision. And they would only need to look at you. Just for a few seconds and then you'd be gone. Not just dead, but erased. Forgotten. And Wrath(K) was the worst of them all. There is no doubt why he got the name he did."

Crona could see the veins growing on her father's head. The light overhead dimmed just slightly. Her arm began to throb again.

When Cayde spoke, his voice was uncharacteristically both serious and shaken. "Seriously. How are any of you alive?"

"And how would you know all of this without one of you having suffered the consequences?" Ikora added.

"Kabr made it all the way to the end of the Vault and killed everything on the way. The Templar, The Gorgons and the Vex Mind controlling it all," Kayla said. She placed her hand gently on Erek's leg, slightly heated and slowly the leg stopped trembling and his breathing evened out. "When Pride transformed him, he absorbed the Vex Mind, took on its mantle and reversed everything he had done inside the Vault, bringing the Templar and Gorgons back to life. But what we learned when we first entered the Vault was that the memories remained with someone. His Ghost."

"Ghost?" Ikora looked stunned, "You found Ghost?"

"Kabr's Ghost was named Ghost?"

"Cayde, not now," she snapped, "Ghost. You found her alive?"

"She was….just barely clinging to the last of her Light. Holding out in the hopes that someone would find her and help her get back to Kabr." Kayla shook her head, "She didn't know what had happened to him until we told her."

"Rasputin had picked up on her signal and managed to tap into her memories." Crona's arm wasn't hurting at the moment but still she rubbed it, remembering the feel of the little Ghost's Light running through the Aegis, "He then used everything Kabr had witnessed to construct the keys. One key facilitated the completion of the others, one opened the Vault and another created this shield called the Aegis. It kept us grounded in time, protected us from the worst of the Vex's abilities, broke the Templar's shield." She stopped to take a breath, "It required Ghost to bond to it and I was the one who wielded her. She held out until the end of the fight."

"I see," Ikora murmured, "How did she die?"

"On Kabr's chest, thanking us for letting her see him, one last time."

Ikora closed her eyes and smiled softly. "Good. That is...very good to hear. Thank you, Crona."

"Retrieve her shell when you have the chance, Crona." Zavala's voice was less tight, his face more relaxed, "It is all we have left of both of them. It should be kept somewhere safe. To honor her suffering, her sacrifices," he said, "And to remember the man Kabr was."

* * *

The others had been taken in groups, though neither Aro nor Daniel had yet to be called in. Asura was here with the Vanguard alone, Zavala directly ahead, Ikora and Cayde at the Commander's back. Big hulking Shaxx and the agile vicious Shin Malphur behind Asura, next to the door.

Extra security. He was still deciding how he felt about that.

Asura wondered if they had already made up their minds of what to do with him. Regardless of the fact that he was the part of him currently present, that he was standing here and that he had helped kill Wrath(K), he knew who was still truly in control, as did they. Asura's presence at the forefront of his own mind depended fully on Wrath(A)'s whims, unpredictable even to him. And just because he did not want to be in control at the moment said nothing of tomorrow, or the next week or the rest of his unending life.

He'd have to spend eternity on constant vigilance and so would his team as well as the Vanguard. He was a liability. The more logical thing to do would be to cut their losses and….

Has any Vanguard ever ordered the execution of a Guardian? He couldn't recall but the deed has still occurred. And the man who did it was standing just three good paces away, ready to do it again if Zavala deemed it necessary.

"We've heard this story before," Commander Zavala started, his deep voice bouncing off the metal walls, "But we have yet to hear it from your perspective."

"Or Wrath's," Ikora interjected, "Will he be willing to speak with us?"

"No," Asura answered simply. He could feel the very idea making Wrath(A) burrow deeper into his head, even further out of reach. Asura couldn't pull him out if he wanted to.

Zavala hummed. "I see. Then speak Guardian. Crota's sword allowed Wrath to take over control and after the incident with an Awoken soldier, he betrayed Crona and Aro and went into the Vault of Glass with Wrath the Titan. What came next?"

"Talking mostly," the young, tired Exo said, "He and Pride wanted to make sure Wrath(A) knew what he was getting into and that they had his loyalty."

"So much for that," Cayde muttered in the back.

"What did they do to you while you were in there?"

"They attempted to...reverse time or manipulate reality around me or Wrath(A), I guess. Doing so would return him to being the Herald he was before he died, but with the full abilities of a Guardian. I would be erased in the process."

"They can do that?" Ikora asked.

He shrugged, "It didn't work. Turns out we can't be separated." Asura's fingers clasped together and he hunched over, shining pink eyes aimed at the ground, "The only thing it brought back was memories. For him, surprisingly. Not for me."

"You share a mind. You can't see his memories?"

"I can but they're very distant. It's like I'm watching it through a screen. Meanwhile, he's reliving them."

"And how does Wrath(A) feel?" The Commander pushed, "How does he feel seeing everything he did?"

"Horror. Disgust. Guilt." The last word stirred something within him, there and gone faster than he could notice it. "The more times Wrath(K) tried and failed, the more vivid the memories came and the more it became about bringing back the Herald who didn't care about the children he murdered than simply replacing Gluttony."

Spirit appeared between him and and the Commander. "He also said something about Asura being 'the original', a template from which the other perfect copies were made."

"Ah. That," Cayde remarked, "Still not sure how I feel about that."

"Pride and Wrath(K) wanted to see if they could use him to control every other Exo in the system."

Cayde threw his hands up, "Okay, now I'm uncomfortable."

"Was it true?" Zavala asked.

"We never found out."

"Still uncomfortable!"

"Cayde!" Zavala scolded, then he grumbled under his breath. "True or not, without the Vault, there's nothing that can be done about it, correct?"

"Yes." Asura was too aware of the eyes on him.

"Then we can worry about it another time. Anything else?"

"I know his reasoning," he answered, "Why he became what he was."

"Well, don't leave us hangin' here."

"He told us that the Vault of Glass was one of the few places he actually felt emotion, one of the few things that made him feel anything at all besides numb." Asura rested his elbows on his knees, "It was anger he felt. Not just at the Vex for what they did to his Ghost or his team but at his entire reality. Kabr was the first attempt to copy me but without the advancements the Traveler brought about, he was always incomplete. When the Traveler did arrive, he was rendered…'obsolete'."

"That anger drove him through the Vault," he went on, "It gave him the strength to break through the Templar's shields, to destroy the Gorgons before they had a chance to erase him. It let him fight Atheon, the original Vex Mind of the Vault and kill it. In the end, it was his anger that did him in. His body succumbed to the stress he put it through and just gave out."

"And Pride?" Ikora pressed him to continue.

"Pride offered him answers and solutions, to his past and how to fix the numbness within. He also wanted to save his second teammate, Praedyth."

"Praedyth," Zavala muttered, not at all recognizing it. "Back during the worst of Pahanin's deterioration, he would regularly call out that name. Are you telling he's real?"

"He was knocked from the timestream while protecting Kabr." Asura turned and found himself looking the wall, "Those who didn't witness the event personally, as they did, had their memories wiped of him."

"So Pahanin was never imagining things when he spoke of the the man." Ikora rubbed her chin, "He was right all along." She let out a weary breath, "Osiris. He always considered it his greatest failure, sending only two Guardians to Venus that day. It's how the rift between him and the Speaker first began and what ultimately led to his exile. If only he knew."

"You said you spoke with Pride." Asura turned at the sound of Shaxx's voice, booming out after a few respectful seconds of silence. He was reclining against the wall, seeming completely unconcerned with what Asura might do if he lost control again. "What else did he tell you?"

"He...he told me of what he was planning." Asura thought back to the Vault, the abject shock of seeing Pride's face for the first time, both as an image and in person. "He doesn't wa to destroy humanity. Not like the Heralds Wrath(A) was apart of. He wants the destruction of the Light and the Traveler but it's because he believes the Darkness is the better path."

Cayde huffed, "He sounds delusional."

"He sounds _dangerous_ ," Ikora retorted.

"Same thing."

"It doesn't matter." Zavala looked him over, a slight amount of indecision and sympathy in his gaze. "You've been through a lot, Asura. More than most. And at such an early time in your life." He exhaled, "Wrath(A) is a liability but Kayla told us of how he helped deliver the final blow and put down Wrath(K) for good."

"Crona also told us that when you're dead, your Ghost can make the decision of whether or not to revive you or to let you go," Ikora said, stepping forward to stand closer to the Commander.

"So then, should the need ever come, I trust both of you to accept what must be done," Zavala told them, "I hope you understand."

"We do, Commander," Spirit assured, "Don't worry."

"Good." The Titan's broad shoulders relaxed, "While you are a victim in this, the restrictions that apply to your teammates also apply to you. Though, this may be projecting, but I doubt you'd want to leave the City for a very long time."

Asura had to laugh a bit at that, "Kinda, yeah. I'd prefer to just avoid Venus if I can."

"Noted." For the first time today, Commander Zavala smiled. Then he asked, "Did you know they would come for you?"

"I did, if you can believe it. I knew they would try. I was just never sure if how far they would make it." He looked down at his hands, "I didn't expect to be sitting here ever again," he finished quietly, his fingers clasping together.

Zavala regarded him silently for a few seconds more before nodding his head to the door. "Go get some rest, Asura." He smiled again, "And it is good to have you back."

Asura's eyes widened; an Exo's smile. He rose up on stiff and weary legs and started for the door. Shaxx unlocked it without a word, clapped him on the shoulder and shook him with a warm smile and a deep chuckle. Shin Malphur simply nodded with a small quirk in his lips. Then he was gently guided through and on his way, the door closing again behind him.

Again, Wrath(A) stirred and again, it was gone before Asura could take full notice of it. It didn't matter. He was basking in the sun, feeling the heat of its light, the coolness of the wind and hum of his fellow Guardians around him. Nothing else mattered. He was home.

"Bed?" Spirit asked.

Asura's shoulders sagged and he let out a long, loud and obnoxious groan mixed in with a soft laugh. "Please."


End file.
